Federal Research and Development Funding: FY2015

President Obama’s budget request for FY2015 includes $135.352 billion for research and development (R&D), a $1.670 billion (1.2%) increase from the FY2014 level of $133.682 billion. The request represents the President’s R&D priorities; Congress may opt to agree with part or all of the request, or it may express different priorities through the appropriations process. In particular, Congress will play a central role in determining the growth rate and allocation of the federal R&D investment in a period of intense pressure on discretionary spending. Low or negative growth in the overall R&D investment may require movement of resources across disciplines, programs, or agencies to address priorities.