In the fiscal year ending September 30, 2011 (FY11), science and engineering (S&E) research space at US universities performing research increased 3.5% to 202.9 million net assignable square feet (NASF), compared with 2009. This is slower growth than the 4.4% increase recorded between FY07 and FY09, but an increase from the 1.5% growth from FY05 to FY07. These figures are from the latest NSF “Survey of Science and Engineering Research Space,” which is based on a survey of 554 colleges and universities with $1 million or more in FY10 S&E R&D funds.

Of the fields displayed in the pie chart below (“Other” consists of computer and information sciences, engineering, mathematics and statistics, psychology, social sciences and other), the NASF of biological and biomedical space at research universities grew the fastest between FY09 and FY11, rising 8.0% to 54.3 million NASF. Research space for astronomy, chemistry and physics rose 6.3%, while research space for health and clinical sciences grew 1.1%. However, NASF of academic research space declined 6.4% and 2.5% from FY09 to FY11 for agricultural and natural resources sciences, and earth, atmospheric and ocean sciences, respectively. This marked the third biennial period of decline in the NASF of academic earth, atmospheric and ocean sciences research space.

Measured by type of institution, the NASF of research space grew the fastest for private universities in FY11 compared with FY09, rising 6.4% to 53.3 million NASF. For public research universities, it rose 2.5% to 149.6 million NASF. Categorized by doctorate granting and non-doctorate granting schools, NASF research space rose 3.6% to 194.6 million NASF for the former, but declined 1.2% for the latter. Among the universities with largest amount of S&E research space in FY2011 were the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (4,631 NASF), the University of Minnesota Twin Cities (3,531 NASF), the University of Georgia (3,526 NASF) and Johns Hopkins (3,144 NASF).

The NASF of research space in medical schools grew faster than in universities in FY11 compared with FY09, with medical school research space rising 9.0% to 48.3 million NASF. However, survey results also indicate this growth may be slowing, as new construction in medical school research space declined 8.0% to 2.3 million NASF at 34 medical schools in FY10–FY11 compared with FY08–FY09. For FY12–FY13, 28 surveyed institutions indicated plans to start construction of 1.9 million NASF in medical sciences.

In fact, this declining growth in US academic research space is evident among all universities for the FY10–FY11 period. For all types of research universities, including medical schools, new construction of research space declined 18.2% in FY10–FY11 to 8.1 million NASF at 167 schools. This is compared with the new construction of 9.9 million NASF at 170 academic institutions in FY08–FY09.

For the FY10–FY11 period, new construction of academic space was categorized by 11 fields. Among these fields, health and clinical sciences accounted for 35% of NASF; biological and biomedical sciences accounted for 25%; astronomy, chemistry and physics represented 7%, agricultural and natural sciences made up 5%; and earth, atmospheric and ocean sciences represented 4%.

For the FY12–FY13 period, 128 academic institutions plan to start construction on a total of 8.4 million NASF of research space. The largest share of NASF of new construction of research space, 28%, is for health and clinical sciences. However, as NSF surveys have consistently showed, survey figures for planned construction during a given period for the number of schools and amount of research space do not coincide with the actual figures recorded when completed and recorded in subsequent surveys.

Funding for new construction of S&E research space in US academic institutions also declined in FY10–FY11 compared with FY08–FY09, falling 13.4% to $6,411.3 million. By source, federal government accounted for 8% of funding and grew 106.3%. In contrast, funding from state and local government, and institutional and other sources fell 27.5% and 11.3% to make up 31% and 62% of funding, respectively.

The costs for repairs and renovation started in FY10–FY11 of S&E research space in academic institutes totaled $3,511.0 million. Biological and biomedical science research space accounted for 38% of the costs; health and clinical science research space accounted for 22%; research space for astronomy, chemistry and physics made up 10%; earth, atmospheric and ocean science research space represented 4%; and research space for agricultural and natural resource sciences accounted for 3%.

 Pie Chart: NASF S&E Research Space in US Academic Institutions FY11

 Agricultural and Natural Resources Sciences  13%

 Biological and Biomedical Sciences           27%

 Health and Clinical Sciences                 18%

 Earth, Atmospheric and Ocean Sciences         4%

 Astronomy, Chemistry and Physics             11% 

 Other                                        27%

 Column Chart: New Construction of S&E Research Space in US Academic Institutions

                                 Started in FY10 or FY11    Planned to Start in FY12 or FY13

 Ag. and Nat. Resources Sciences                 0.4                        0.6

 Biological and Biomedical Sciences                2                        1.8

 Health and Clinical Sciences                    2.8                        2.2

 Earth, Atmospheric and Ocean Sciences           0.3                        0.6

 Astronomy, Chemistry and Physics                0.6                        0.8

 Column Chart: New Construction of S&E Research Space and Medical School Research Space in US Academic Institutions

 FY02–FY03  FY04–FY05  FY06–FY07   FY08–FY09   FY10–FY11

    16.2      10.1        8.8         9.9         8.1

 Pie Chart: Condition of S&E Research Space in US Academic Institutions FY11

 Superior              36%

 Satisfactory          45%

 Requires Renovation   16%

 Requires Replacement   4%