The NSF has released preliminary figures for the US federal government’s budget authority for fiscal 2015. Total R&D and R&D-plant budget authority grew 0.7% to $137.2 billion in current dollars, down from 2.8% growth in fiscal 2014. Adjusted for inflation, both years’ levels are nearly flat with fiscal 2010. Nondefense R&D and R&D-plant budget authority rose 5.3% to $69.7 billion, compared with a 1.5% increase the year before. Average nondefense growth for fiscal 2010 through fiscal 2013 was 5.3%. In fiscal 2015, Health; General Science, Basic Research; Energy; Natural Resources and Environment; and Agriculture R&D budget R&D-plant budget authority grew 1.1%, 1.5%, 0.8%, 3.7% and 3.1% to $31.4 billion, $10.7 billion, $2.4 billion, $2.4 billion and $2.1 billion, respectively. But each respective budget function recorded declines on average for fiscal 2010 to fiscal 2013, down 1.6%, 2,9%, 3.8%, 3.7% and 6.2%.

Source: NSF