NSF InfoBrief: US R&D Increased $21.1B in 2014

U.S. research and development (R&D) performance rose to $477.7 billion in 2014 – an increase of $21.1 billion over 2013, according to a recent National Science Foundation (NSF) InfoBrief. When adjusted for inflation, growth in U.S. total R&D performance (1.2 percent annually between 2008 and 2014) matched the average pace of U.S. gross domestic product (GDP). Of the $477.7 billion in R&D funding, approximately 63 percent ($300.1 billion) went to experimental development with the remaining 37 percent supporting basic research ($84 billion) and applied research ($93.6 billion).

In line with a two-decade trend, the business sector remained the largest performer of U.S. R&D – accounting for $340.7 billion (71 percent) of the total in 2014. Industry was also the largest funder of R&D, accounting for $318.6 billion (67 percent) of the 2014 total. Approximately 98 percent of industry-funded R&D was directed at companies to perform the R&D. The federal government was the second largest funder with $119.8 billion (25 percent);  $34.4 billion of its funding was dedicated to R&D at federal agencies, $34.1 billion to academic institutions, $26.6 billion to businesses, and $17.5 billion to FFRDCs.

NSF estimates that in 2015, U.S. R&D performance reached $499.3 billion.