In FY16, the federal budget authority for R&D increased an estimated 7.5%, or $10.5 billion, in current dollars to $149.0 billion. The increase is significant, especially within the last three years, as the budget authority grew 1.8% in FY15 and 2.8% in FY14. For FY17, the president’s proposed budget allocates $153.9 billion for R&D and R&D plant funding, an increase of 3.3%, or $4.9 billion.

In FY16, expenditure for R&D plant was $2.6 billion. R&D Plant is defined as R&D facilities and fixed equipment (i.e., reactors, particle accelerators), and “includes acquisitions of, construction of, major repairs to, or alterations in structures works, equipment, facilities, or land for use in R&D activities at federal or non-federal installations,” excluding office furniture/equipment and expendable or movable equipment (i.e., microscopes, spectrometers). Historically, the majority of R&D Plant funding goes towards general science and basic research, including investments in new or renovated facilities, as well as large-scale equipment.

In FY16, the budget authority for Health R&D (including R&D Plant) was $32.4 billion, or 22% of the total budget, a 6.1% increase. In the past, the NIH has received the largest portion of this budget authority, obtaining $28.8 billion in FY15, and $30.6 billion in FY16. Of the NIH funding, the National Cancer Institute, and the National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases typically received the largest share. Also included in the NIH funding are various DHHS R&D programs (i.e., FDA, CDC, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality), the Consumer Product Safety Commission, and the Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety Health Administration.

General Science and Basic Research had a budget authority of $11.4 billion in FY15, or 8% of total R&D funding, a 3.0% increase. This section includes the NSF and the DoE’s Office of Science. In FY15 and FY16, NSF programs made up $6.0 billion and $6.1 billion, respectively, or half of the section’s total budget.

The budget authority for Energy increased 8.9% to $3.5 billion in FY16. Agriculture budget authority increased 9.6% in FY16 to $2.4 billion. This section is comprised of the Department of Agriculture’s R&D programs.

Source: NSF National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics