CHAPTER 4 

 AGENCY SUPPORT OF BASIC RESEARCH BY FIELD OF SCIENCE 



Federal support of basic research has shifted 

 significantly by field of science over the past de- 

 cade (see Tables 4.1 and 4.2). The actual obliga- 

 tions (in current dollars) are given for 1968-1976; 

 those for 1977 and 1978 are estimated. The life and 

 physical sciences are dominant throughout the 

 decade; life sciences received approximately 

 $1,007 million, or 37 percent of the $2,755 million 

 total for 1977, and physical sciences, approxi- 

 mately $806 million, or 29 percent. 



The relative growth of Federal support of basic 

 research in the 1968-1977 period is shown in Table 

 4.3 and Figure 4.1. Different growth rates over 

 this period can be seen; the life sciences (73.9 

 percent), environmental sciences (98.0 percent), 

 engineering (71.8 percent), social sciences (67.2 

 percent), physical sciences (34.6 percent), and 

 mathematics and computer sciences (17.9 per- 

 cent). Support for psychology, treated as a field 

 separate from both the life and social sciences, 

 decreased by 3.6 percent in this period. 



An earlier study done for NSF relates the pro- 

 portional shift in funding toward the life sciences 



and away from the physical sciences to shifts in 

 the distribution of Federal R&D funding among 

 the different agencies. The authors only analyzed 

 the funds going to universities and colleges, but 

 because the academic sector is the principal per- 

 former of basic research, their observations are 

 relevant: 

 One development related to the shift in agency 

 funding is a corresponding shift in the funding 

 of different science fields. Because the research 

 support by DOD, ERDA. and NASA has pro- 

 portionately decreased and that of HEW and 

 NSF has increased, federal sponsorship has 

 shifted from physical science and other related 

 fields to the life sciences.' 



This larger base of support for the life sciences, 

 the study notes, has been "stimulated by height- 

 ened national emphasis on cancer research."" In 

 1977 support for the life sciences subfield of bio- 



'Smith. Bruce L. R. and Joseph J. Karlesky. The State of 

 Academic Science: The Universities in the Nation 's Research 

 Effort (Change Magazine Press; New York. 1977). p. .^2. 



Table 4.1— Federal obligations for basic research by field of science, FY 1968-78 

 (Dollars in millions] 



Fiscal years 



68 



69 



70 



71 



72 



73 



74 



75 



76 



77 



(est.) 



' Detail may not add to totals because of rounding. 

 Source: Division of Science Resources Studies/STI A/NSF 



78 



test.) 



Total' $1,721 $1,779 $1,762 $1,779 $1,974 $2,001 $2,039 $2,279 $2,425 $2,755 $3,012 



Life sciences 579 539 554 574 668 669 737 797 878 1,007 1,058 



Physical 



sciences 599 662 589 582 625 618 604 702 722 806 911 



Environmental 



sciences 199 235 256 280 291 299 320 339 355 394 438 



Engineering 156 151 180 169 185 204 188 234 240 268 297 



Social sciences 61 71 64 70 80 78 73 73 85 102 113 



Mathematics and 



computer science 67 56 58 51 63 57 49 59 70 79 88 



Psychology 55 53 56 44 54 46 49 60 44 53 57 



Other sciences 4 11 4 9 9 28 16 15 33 46 49 



AGENCY SUPPORT OF BASIC RESEARCH BY FIELD OF SCIENCE 263 



