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NSF Study Shows Dramatic Shift in Shares of Federal Scientific Research Support According to a U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) Issue Brief, the end of the Cold War and new national priorities were major contributors to dramatic shifts in the field mix, or "market share/' of fed eral support for science and engineering (S&E) research between 1970 and 1997. The Issue Brief, "How Has the Field Mix of Federal Research Funding Changed Over the Past Three Decades?" was produced by the NSF's Division of Science Resources Studies (SRS). According to the report, the share of federal S&E research funding for the life sciences increased nearly by half—from 29.4% of the total mix to 43.1%—while engineering's share of federal research support dropped by nearly two-fifths, from 31.4-19.4%, between 1970 and 1997 (see figure). Issue Brief author Alan Rapoport said, "A declining Department of Defense budget in the post-Cold War period Ied to fears of declining support for engineering and the physical sciences. Recent increases
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lurgy and materials increased its share by 0.1 percentage point within the three decades, with most of the increase occurring in the 1980s (0.5 percentage point; an increase of 0.4 percentage point shows during the 1990s). The study found that most of engineering's share decline had occurred by the end of the 1980s. The mathematical and Computer sciences' (pri-
in the budgets of the NIH have stirred anxiety about funding imbalances between the life sciences and other fields." According to the brief, "AU engineering fields except metallurgy and materials had declining shares, with the largest losses in electrical and mechanical engineer ing." While the broad category of engi neering lost 12.0 percentage points, metal
Engineering (from 31.4% to 19.4%)
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Physical Sciences (from 19.3% to 14.1%) Math & Computer Sciences (from 1.9% to 5.7%)
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Lite Sciences (from 29.4% to 43.1 %)
-15
-10
-5
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5
10
15
Percentage Point Share Change Changes in field shares of total federal research funding: 1970-1997. Extracted from Figure 1 ofthe National Science Foundation Issue Brief, "How Has the Field Mix of Federal Research Funding Changed Over the Past Three Decades?"
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