Federal Spending On R&D Increased In 2014

Congress’s allocation for federal R&D spending rose 2.4% in fiscal 2014 to $136 billion compared with the previous fiscal year, according to a report from the National Science Foundation. But that increase in federal budget authority—the amount the government is allowed to spend—does not make up for losses since 2010, when overall R&D spending first began to fall. Overall federal R&D allocations peaked at $149 billion that year, after climbing gradually during previous years, the report shows. Defense R&D allocations have taken the larger hit, falling from a peak of $87 billion in 2010 to $71 billion in 2013 and 2014. Nondefense R&D spending has been more erratic. For 2014, the budget allocation for nondefense spending is up to $65 billion, a 10-year high if one-time stimulus funding in 2009 is excluded. A group of 133 R&D funding advocates—including businesses and science and education organizations—recently sent a letter to Congress urging lawmakers to make up previous funding gaps and allocate more money for research.