Overall, universities and colleges reported science and engineering research and development expenditures of $49.4 billion in FY 2007, 3.5 percent more than in the previous year ($47.7 billion). When adjusted for inflation, academic R&D rose by 0.8 percent in FY 2007. 

Of 672 institutions surveyed, the top twenty accounted for 30 percent of total academic R&D spending. Institutions constituting the top five—Johns Hopkins University, U. CA San Francisco, U. WI Madison, U. CA Los Angeles, U. MI all campuses— remained the same from FY 2006 to FY 2007.

A total of $421 million was spent on R&D at historically black universities and colleges (HBCUs), with 84 percent funded by the federal government. The top-spending HBCU in FY 2007 was Howard University ($38 million), with Jackson State University a close second at $37 million.

A total of $888 million was spent on R&D at high-Hispanic-enrollment institutions in FY 2007, with 65 percent funded by the federal government. The top-spending high-Hispanic-enrollment institution in FY 2007 was the University of New Mexico ($177 million).

Historically the top 100 research performers have accounted for roughly 80 percent of all R&D dollars reported on the survey.

Although medical sciences ($16.5 billion) and biological sciences ($9.2 billion) accounted for more than one-half of all R&D at universities and colleges in FY 2007, oceanography (18.6 percent), bioengineering/biomedical engineering (12.8 percent), and aeronautical/astronautical engineering (10.1 percent), showed the largest percentage increases for FY 2007.

Spending in aeronautical/astronautical engineering declined 13.5 percent in FY 2006. Bioengineering/biomedical engineering R&D continues to be the fastest growing field, with an average increase of 15.0 percent annually since FY 2000.
 
The Department of Health and Human Services, including the National Institutes of Health, has historically been the largest provider of federal R&D funding to universities and colleges. In FY 2007 Health and Human Services funding constituted 56 percent of total federally funded expenditures ($17.1 billion) and was concentrated within the medical and biological sciences. National Science Foundation (NSF) was the second largest provider in FY 2007, funding $3.6 billion across numerous academic R&D fields. 
 
After three consecutive years of decline between FY 2001 and FY 2004, industry funding of academic R&D in science and engineering fields grew 11.2 percent to $2.7 billion in FY 2007.   At the same time, state and local government funding of R&D expenditures grew by 6.1 percent in FY 2007, increasing to $3.1 billion. Funding from academic institutions increased 6.6 percent in FY 2007 to $9.7 billion.

Funding from all other sources combined, including nonprofit organizations and other nongovernmental entities, increased 10.0 percent to $3.5 billion. Overall, R&D expenditures related to science and engineering reported by universities was $49.4 billion in FY 2007. Combined sources of nonfederal funding grew by 7.8 percent in FY 2007, or 5 percent in inflation-adjusted dollars with noteworthy increases in R&D funding from industry.
 
Federal academic S&E obligations are divided into six categories: research and development (R&D), which has accounted for 84-88 percent of total federal academic S&E obligations over the last decade; R&D plant; facilities and equipment for S&E instruction; fellowships, traineeships, and training grants (FTTGs); general support for S&E; and other S&E activities.
 
In current dollars, federally funded academic R&D expenditures rose 1.1 percent in FY 2007 to $30.4 billion. After adjusting for inflation, this represents a 1.6 percent decline from FY 2006 and follows a 0.2 percent decline from the FY 2005 level.

The federal government remains the largest source of academic R&D funding, accounting for more than 60 percent of total R&D expenditures most years since FY 1972. The federal government's share, however, has declined in recent years, dropping from 64 percent in FY 2005 to 62% in FY 2007.