This page answers frequently asked questions about the Survey of State Government Research and Development. For assistance with completing this survey, please contact us.

• About Reporting
• About the Survey
• General Instructions and Survey Definitions

The Survey of State Government Research and Development is the only source for comprehensive, uniform statistics regarding the extent of R&D activity performed and funded by departments and agencies in each of the nation's 50 state governments, the government of the District of Columbia, and the government of Puerto Rico.

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Emails are sent to state departments and agencies in the fall. Please visit our Information for Respondents page for more information on how to report. Survey is due 60 days from receipt. Please contact us if you will need more time to report.

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The length of time to complete this survey will vary depending on the size of your department or agency and the complexity of your R&D operations and records. The average burden is estimated to be 2 hours.

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Please contact us if you will need more time to report.

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Yes, reasonable estimates are acceptable if exact figures are not available.

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Respond with "0" if there is a space that requests an amount and you do not have the activity. It is not necessary to add zeroes for the questions that you are instructed to skip.

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Yes. Please contact us if your department or agency does not have any R&D activities so that we can update your record in our system.

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The Survey of State Government Research and Development collects the following information:

• R&D expenditures by source of funds (federal, state, and other)
• Expenditures for intramural performance by source of funds
• Expenditures for intramural performance by type of work (basic research, applied research, and experimental development)
• Expenditures for extramural performance by source of funds
• Expenditures for extramural performance by type of performer (academic institutions, companies and individuals, and others)
• Federal funds for R&D by state and federal agency
• R&D expenditures by governmental function (agriculture, energy, environment and natural resources, health, transportation, and other)
• Capital outlays for state government R&D-related facilities

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State government officials and policy makers garner the most benefit from the results of this survey. Governors and legislatures need a reliable, comprehensive source of data to help in evaluating how best to attract the high-tech R&D industries to their state. Officials are able to evaluate their investment in R&D based on comparisons with other states. These comparisons include the sources of funding, the type of R&D being conducted, and the type of R&D performer. The data from this survey are used by the Bureau of Economic Analysis in the computation of national and state-level Gross Domestic Product, as well as by the National Science Board as part of the biannual Congressionally mandated report Science and Engineering Indicators, and by the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics in the report on National Patterns of R&D Resources, and the Science and Engineering State Profiles data.

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Research and experimental development (R&D) comprise creative and systematic work undertaken in order to increase the stock of knowledge – including knowledge of humankind, culture and society – and to devise new applications of available knowledge.

  R&D is aimed at new findings

•  It has not been done before
•  It may produce findings that could be published in academic journals
•  It includes ideas that could be patented

 R&D focuses on original concepts or ideas (creative)

•  Increases our knowledge of the subject
•  Helps create new products or applications

R&D outcomes are uncertain (because it has not been done before)

•  Solutions are not always obvious or expected
•  Uncertain about, cost, time, or ability to achieve results

R&D is planned and budgeted (systematic)

•  Projects processes and outcomes are documented
•  Projects are planned and managed

R&D results in solutions that others may find useful (transferable)

• Findings can be generalized to other situations and locations
• Findings are reproducible

What is NOT R&D?

• Construction and acquisition of land and facilities used primarily for R&D (this is reported separately in Question 11)
• Fixed equipment used primarily for R&D (this is reported separately in Question 11)
• Program planning and evaluation
• Business development services for new companies
• Commercialization (includes promoting/producing the products/services from R&D projects)
• Economic/policy/feasibility studies
• General patient services
• Information systems
• Management studies
• Marketing of products/services
• Market research or analysis
• Routine data collection/dissemination
• Routine monitoring/testing
• Strategic planning
• Technology transfer

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The reporting unit is your department, agency, commission, public authority including all divisions and offices regardless of location that either perform or fund R&D.

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