Scientific and technical information (S&TI) 

 activities consist of: (1) documentation, 

 reference, and information services; (2) publica- 

 tion and distribution; (3) symposia and audio 

 visual media; (4) R&D in information sciences; 

 and (5) information systems, techniques, and 

 devices. Federal support for these activities 

 increased six fold over the 1960-74 period i" 

 (figure 2-17); in terms of constant dollars, 

 however, 1968 was the year of highest funding 

 followed by a leveling off through 1974. The 



ratio of total S&TI obligations to Federal R&D 

 grew from .010 in 1960 to .025 in 1970, and 

 remained approximately at that level through 

 1974 (figure 2-17). 



Several agencies support programs in this 

 area. Those which account for most of the 

 Federal support are indicated in figure 2-18, 

 which presents the obligated funds from each. 

 The Department of Defense, through such 

 programs as the Defense Documentation 

 Center, supplied one-third of all Federal funds 

 for S&TI in 1974. The Department of Com- 

 merce provided 20 percent of the total, much of 

 which is accounted for by the National Technical 

 Information Service. A similar amount comes 

 from a variety of programs in the Department of 

 Health, Education, and Welfare, a major one 

 being the National Library of Medicine. 



Figure 2-17 



Federal Obligations for Scientific and 

 Technical Information Activities, 

 Compared with Total Federal 

 R&D Obligations, 1960-74 



(Millions of Dollars) (Percent) 



500 



400 - 



Current dollars 





„i>«' Ratio of S&TI to — 



all Federal obligations - 



(Ratio) 

 .030 



.020 



.010 



1980 '62 '64 '66 '68 '70 '72 '74 



(est.) 



lalGNP implicit price deflators used to convert current dollars to constant 1967 dollars. 



SOURCE; National Science Foundation, 



'" Available data reflect only a portion of the Federal 

 support for all S&TI activities, in that they include only the 

 direct obligations for S&TI and not the support provided 

 through R&D grants and contracts. 



47 



