The Department of Energy Accounted for over 60% of All Federal Funding for R&D Plant in FY 2021

Christopher V. Pece

NSF 24-313

 | 

January 16, 2024

Federal obligations and outlays for R&D plant, by agency: FY 2021
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Federal obligations and outlays for R&D plant, by agency: FY 2021

(Millions of dollars)
Agency Obligations Outlays
Department of Agriculture 57 111
Department of Commerce 429 265
Department of Defense 169 211
Department of Energy 2,668 2,330
Department of Health and Human Services 399 355
National Science Foundation 433 371
All other agencies 128 161
Note(s):

Because of rounding, detail may not add to total. Only those agencies and subdivisions that had obligations or outlays in variables represented by this table appear in the table. FY 2021 obligations include additional funding provided by supplemental COVID-19 pandemic-related appropriations (e.g., Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security [CARES] Act).

Source(s):

National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, Survey of Federal Funds for Research and Development, FYs 2021–22.

In FY 2021, federal obligations and outlays for research and development (R&D) plant totaled $4.3 billion and $3.8 billion, respectively. The Department of Energy was the largest funder of R&D plant, with $2.7 billion (62%) in obligations and $2.3 billion (61%) in outlays. R&D plant is defined as spending on R&D facilities and major equipment, including physical assets such as land, structures, equipment, and intellectual property (e.g., software or applications) that have an estimated useful life of 2 years or more. This includes the purchase, construction, manufacture, rehabilitation, or major improvement of physical assets, regardless of whether the assets are owned or operated by the federal government. For a complete definition of R&D plant, see Office of Management and Budget Circular A-11, Section 84.2(b) (Schedule C). Obligations are the amounts for orders placed, contracts awarded, services received, and similar transactions during a given period, regardless of when funds were appropriated and when future payment is required. Outlays are the amounts for checks issued and cash payments made during a given period. These and additional details are included in the full set of latest data tables from the Survey of Federal Funds for R&D.

Suggested Citation: Pece CV; National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES). 2024. The Department of Energy Accounted for over 60% of All Federal Funding for R&D Plant in FY 2021. NSF 24-313. Alexandria, VA: National Science Foundation. Available at https://ncses.nsf.gov/pubs/nsf24313.

NSF 24-313

 | 

January 16, 2024

Christopher V. Pece

NSF 24-313

 | 

January 16, 2024

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