Federally Sponsored Research and Programs

The federal government sponsors a significant amount of research that takes place in the United States, though the vast majority of those funds are directed toward research conducted at the university level. Funding for both research and programs comes from a range of different agencies within the federal government and can be obtained as grants, contracts, and programs. The federal government has been funding research since 1953, and though it has not risen every year, and has, at times, experienced slight declines, it has increased significantly since the federal government began funding research. As of 2013, federal funding for national research and development made up approximately one fourth of all funding available. In terms of university research and development funding, federal funding since 1990 has ...