Chapter 5: Science & Engineering Indicators 93
Federal Academic Research Funding by Mode of Support
Until recently, very little data were available on trends in federal funding of academic research by mode of support. This changed, however, with the release of Trends in the Structure of Federal Science Support by the Federal Coordinating
Council for Science, Engineering, and Technology (FCCSET). The report (OSTP 1992) defined four principal modes of support, and primarily examined civilian federal research
funding from six agencies--the Department of Energy (DOE), NIH, NSF, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA),
Department of Agriculture (USDA), and NASA. (DOD was also included in some of the discussions.)
Definitions. FCCSET used the following definitions of support modes.
- Individual investigator: A single senior scientist or small research group receiving direct funding for an independent research project.
- Research team: A group of senior investigators, often at different institutions, pursuing common research objectives and considered by the funding agency to be a team. A research team is less formally organized than a research center and
may be funded separately.
- Research center: A formally organized group of investigators, frequently multidisciplinary, using shared resources to pursue coordinated research focused on a single topic or research theme.
- Major facility: A large multi-user laboratory or research facility requiring a long-term commitment for support. A major facility is intended for shared used by researchers from many institutions, and is frequently designated as "national"
or "regional" in scope.
Findings. FCCSET found that funding has increased for all modes of support, albeit at different rates. Overall, the shares of research funds going to individual investigators and to research centers declined between 1980 and 1989, while the shares to
research teams and major facilities increased. (See figure 5-6.)
The distribution of academic research funds among modes of support differs substantially across the six agencies examined. For example, while individual investigators account for a major share of each agency's academic research support, there are
significant differences by agency. Individual investigators receive between 60 and 80 percent of funding by NSF, EPA, and DOD; they receive about 50 percent of NIH funding, and account for only about 35 to 40 percent of USDA and DOE funding. In USDA,
research centers play a much more crucial role in academic research funding; in DOE, research teams, research centers, and major facilities also receive significant support. NIH has given increasing attention to interdisciplinary research during the
1980s, with the result of stimulating awards to team research.
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