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 counted for the vast majority of funding provided. In fact, it accounts for well over half of all research and development funding received by universities. In terms of the distribution of federal research funds, by far, the largest amount of money is consistently spent on National Institutes of Health biomedical research, far exceeding the amount spent on the next subject, engineering.

Those seeking funding from the federal government need to be knowledgeable about how to discover and pursue the available funding. Some might say that seeking federal funds for research is not for the faint of heart. There are very few simple ways to discover what funding is available, the grant writing and review process can be time-consuming and arduous, and the chances of receiving funding are small. Moreover, one of the best ways to ensure that a grant is received is to have previously been the recipient of a major award from the federal government, and in some cases, specifically the agency from which one is seeking funding. All these realities are important to understand when deciding to seek federal funding. On the other hand, receiving a federal grant is essential for the vast majority of researchers in the higher educational community, as these grants support work that allow researchers to contribute to the intellectual community and advance in their careers.

This entry provides an overview of federal sponsors of research and then provides insight into some of the challenges associated with seeking federal grants and contracts as well as a list of resources related to federal agencies that sponsor federal research and programs.