Chapter 5: Science & Engineering Indicators 93
The Spreading Institutional Base of Federally Funded Academic R&D
(Click here for footnote 12.)
In 1971, 565 academic institutions received federal support for their R& D activities. In 1981, this number increased to 618, and by 1991, to 759. (See appendix
table 5-10.) During this 20-year period, however, there was almost no change in the number of Carnegie research or doctorate-granting institutions receiving federal R& D obligations. Instead, almost all of the increase in the number of
institutions supported occurred in the other Carnegie classifications--i.e., among comprehensive; liberal arts; 2-year community, junior, and technical; and professional and other specialized schools. (Click here for
footnote 13.)
This spreading of the institutional base of federally funded academic R& D did not occur at the same rate, nor even in the same direction, in all science and engineering fields. Once again, at the individual field level, most of the increase was at institutions other than research or doctorate-granting ones. The largest relative increases in the number of
institutions receiving academic R& D support from the Federal Government were in the computer sciences, mathematics, and geological sciences. Two fields--the social sciences and psychology--showed a decline in the number of institutions receiving federal academic R& D support. (See figure 5-5.)
Footnote 12:
The data in this section are drawn from the Federal Support to Universities, Colleges, and Selected Nonprofit Institutions Survey. The survey collects data on federal R& D obligations to individual U.S. universities and colleges from the 15
federal agencies that account for virtually all such obligations.
Footnote 13:
See chapter 2, "Classification of Academic Institutions," for a brief description of the Carnegie categories.
Contents
SearchContinue
