the Department of Defense, with another 17 

 percent provided by the National Aeronautics 

 and Space Administration. With the exception of 

 life and environmental scientists, engineers and 

 scientists in industry received their major 

 Federal support from the Department of 

 Defense. 



Employment of scientists and engineers 

 in the Federal Government 



Nearly 10 percent of all scientists and 

 engineers are employed by U.S. Government 

 agencies. The number of Federal scientists and 

 engineers in 1973 declined by 3 percent over 

 1972 to 162,000, the first sizable annual 

 reduction since data were initially collected in 

 1954." 



The major agencies employing scientists and 

 engineers are shown below in terms of the 

 percentage of the total employed by each during 

 1973. 



Of all Federal scientists and engineers, some 

 30 percent were employed in R&D positions in 

 1973. Those engaged in research consisted of 

 nearly 19,000 scientists and some 4,000 

 engineers, whereas development activities 

 employed nearly 19,000 engineers and over 

 6,000 scientists. 



Employment of scientists and engineers in 

 nonprofit institutions 



These institutions-- employ only about 1 to 2 

 percent of the national total of scientists and 



engineers. By 1973, employment of scientists 

 and engineers in this sector reached ap- 

 proximately 26,300, an increase of some 20 

 percent since 1965. ^-^ In contrast to trends 

 reported in the academic sector, virtually all of 

 the increase in independent nonprofit in- 

 stitutions was attributable to personnel who 

 worked primarily in research and development; 

 this group of personnel comprised nearly 90 

 percent of all scientists and engineers employed 

 in such institutions. 



RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT 

 PERSONNEL 



Total scientists and engineers in R&D 



An estimated 530,000 scientists and engineers 

 were engaged in R&D activities on a full-time 

 equivalent basis in all sectors of the economy in 

 1974. This number accounts for approximately 

 one-third of all employed scientists and 

 engineers, ^•i 



Over the past two decades, the employment of 

 these R&D scientists and engineers grew at an 

 average annual rate of 4.1 percent, 1.6 times 

 faster than the rate of growth of total civilian 

 employment. In 1969-70, however, the long- 

 term growth trend was reversed as the number 

 of R&D scientists and engineers declined and 

 national R&D expenditures in constant dollars 

 decreased. Between 1973 and 1974, R&D 

 scientist and engineer employment increased by 

 nearly 5,000, reversing the downward trend 

 slightly. The 1974 employment level, however, 

 was over 30,000 short of the peak employment 

 level reached in 1969. 



Doctoral scientists and engineers in R&D 



Approximately 90,000 of the science and 

 engineering doctorates in the 1973 U.S. labor 

 force cited R&D or R&D management as their 

 primary work activity. --°^ While some one-third 

 of all scientists and engineers were engaged in 

 R&D, the proportion of doctorates primarily 



^1 "Federal Scientific and Technical Personnel Decline in 

 1973", Science Reiources Sludies Highlights. National Science 

 Foundation (NSF 74-316), October 18, 1974. 



-~ Which include research institutes, hospitals, and 

 Federally Funded Research and Development Centers 

 administered by nonprofit institutions. 



23 R&D Acliviliei of Independent Nonfirolil Institutions, 1973, 

 National Science Foundation (NSF 75-308). 



2^ See Appendix table 2-2 and National Patterns of R6D 

 Resources, 1953-75, National Science Foundation (NSF 75- 

 307). 



25 Characteristics of Doctoral Scientists and Engineers m the United 

 States. 1973, National Science Foundation (NSF 75-312). 



126 



