A recent post on the Dot Earth blog asks some questions of Obama’s incoming science team. An aside here is the historical federal spending on R&D with some revealing details (see image above). The chart doesn’t include the more than $80B level of spending on defense R&D, which dwarfs all other spending.
Health spending has grown considerably over the years to dominate non-defense R&D investment. The amount spent on space and energy research have fluctuated the most, with the amount on natural resources staying low but stable. It’s clear that the energy spending will need to increase considerably to meet Obama’s objectives of clean energy and energy independence. Where will the money come from?
For detailed historical analysis of R&D spending, check out this AAAS site.
