Ups and Downs for Federal R&D Spending

Federal funding for research and development fell by 9 percent from 2012 to 2013, but the National Science Foundation projects that it rose by 3 percent in 2014 and will grow by 2 percent in 2015, the agency says in a new report. The foundation's report breaks down the funding levels by agency, compares dollar levels for basic and applied research, and shows the proportion that flows to colleges and universities and to other research producers.