Nonprofit Research Activities (NPRA) Survey 2023 | NCSES | NSF

Nonprofit Research Activities (NPRA) Survey 2023 | NCSES | NSF
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The NPRA Survey measures research and experimental development performed by tax-exempt nonprofit organizations in the United States.
Survey Info
Methodology
Data
Analysis
Survey Info
Summary
The Nonprofit Research Activities (NPRA) module of the Annual Business Survey measures research and experimental development (R&D) performance and funding at U.S. tax-exempt nonprofit organizations.
Areas of Interest
Research and Development
Survey Administration
This survey was funded by the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES) within the U.S. National Science Foundation, and data collection was conducted by the Census Bureau.
Survey Details
Status
Active
Frequency
Annual
Reference Period
FY 2023
Next Release Date
7 October 2026
Survey Description (PDF 102 KB)
Data Tables (PDF 435 KB)
Featured Survey Analysis
U.S. Nonprofits Spent $31 Billion on R&D Activities in FY 2023
September 24, 2025
Product ID: NSF 25-355
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NPRA Survey Overview
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Methodology
Survey Description
Survey Overview (FY 2023 Survey Cycle)
Purpose
The Nonprofit Research Activities (NPRA) module of the Annual Business Survey collects information on research and experimental development (R&D) performed or funded by nonprofit organizations in the United States.
Data collection authority
Title 13, United States Code, Sections 8(b), 131, and 182; Title 42, United States Code, Section 1861-76 (National Science Foundation Act of 1950, as amended); and Section 505 within the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010, authorize this collection. Sections 224 and 225 of Title 13 require mandatory response. Office of Management and Budget No. 0607-1004. NCSES has reviewed this product for unauthorized disclosure of confidential information and approved its release (NCSES-DRN24-093).
Major changes to recent survey cycle
None.
Key Survey Information
Frequency
Annual.
Initial survey year
FY 2020. (The questions on the FY 2020 module were first developed and used on the FY 2016 Nonprofit Research Activities Survey, which was the first national survey of R&D activities in the U.S. nonprofit population since 1997. Due to the differences between the previous surveys and the new module, FY 2020 is considered the initial survey year for the annual series.)
Reference period
FY 2023.
Response unit
Organizations.
Sample or census
Sample.
Population size
45,000 organizations.
Sample size
8,000 organizations.
Key variables
Key variables of interest are listed below.
R&D expenditures by source of funds (federal government, state and local government, business, foundations, universities, other nonprofits, internal funds, individual donors, and other)
R&D expenditures by type of R&D (basic research, applied research, and experimental development)
R&D expenditures by type of cost (salaries, wages and fringe benefits, depreciation and amortization, and all other costs)
R&D expenditures by field of R&D (agricultural sciences and natural resources and conservation; biological, biomedical, and health sciences; engineering; geosciences, atmospheric sciences, and ocean sciences; mathematics, statistics, and computer and information sciences; physical sciences; psychology and social sciences; humanities; and other fields)
Headcounts and full-time equivalent counts of R&D personnel (researchers vs. technicians vs. other support personnel)
Headcounts for contract employees and volunteers working on research activities
R&D funding provided to others, by type of funding (grants and contracts vs. subawards and subcontracts)
Survey Design
Target population
Included are all nonfarm organizations with at least one in-scope location filing Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Form 990 as a tax-exempt organization and with an annual payroll of $500,000 or more. See the “
Technical Notes
” for details on the out-of-scope establishment categories.
Sampling frame
The sampling frame was constructed from the final 2022 Business Register and the Exempt Organizations Business Master File Extract (EO BMF). The Business Register is the Census Bureau’s comprehensive database of U.S. businesses. Organizations were excluded from the frame if they were considered outside the scope of the survey (e.g., churches, government organizations, educational institutions, or organizations located outside the United States). A financial threshold was also imposed to increase the efficiency of reaching organizations that perform R&D.
Sample design
The nonprofit R&D sampling frame is stratified by state and primary nonprofit activity (healthcare, science and technology, and all other organizations). Within each stratum, a subset of organizations is selected as certainty cases and the remaining cases are systematically sampled. Certainty cases have a selection probability of one and a sampling weight of one and represent only themselves. Specifically, organizations were selected with certainty based on the following criteria:
Organizations with known R&D activity (1,300 organizations)
Organizations larger than stratum-specific payroll cut-offs (850 organizations).
The nonprofit R&D sample consisted of 8,000 organizations, and 2,100 were selected with certainty.
The remaining 5,900 noncertainty cases were selected using systematic stratified random sample selection. The maximum sample weight was 7.4.
Data Collection and Processing
Data collection
The survey was mailed to 8,000 nonprofit organizations in July 2024. The organizations were sent a letter informing them of their requirement to report under Title 13, United States Code, Sections 224 and 225. The letter also provided instructions on accessing and submitting the survey online. There were three mail follow-ups and four e-mail follow-ups conducted to increase response. The collection period closed on 30 December 2024.
Data processing
Prior to tabulating the data, survey responses were reviewed and edited to correct any reporting errors detected. Nonprofit organizations reporting less than $50,000 in R&D expenditures were not included in the final tabulations. Survey analysts reviewed the R&D data reported by the respondents. The data were evaluated by calculating the reported R&D expenses to expense ratios and reviewing the organization’s website information.
Additional reporting errors were detected and corrected using an automated data edit system designed to review the data for reasonableness and consistency. The editing process interactively corrected detected errors using standard procedures. Quality control techniques were used to verify that procedures were carried out as specified.
Estimation techniques
Where possible, missing data were imputed using previous survey data or other publicly available documents, such as annual reports and financial statements. Survey weights were used to compensate for unequal probabilities of selection and nonresponse, and to calibrate sample estimates of expenses to match total expenses on the sampling frame. Measures of sampling variability were estimated using the delete-a-group jackknife variance estimator.
Survey Quality Measures
Sampling error
Sampling error is the difference between estimates obtained from the sample and results theoretically obtainable from a comparable complete enumeration of the sampling frame. For published estimates from NPRA, relative standard errors (RSEs) are produced for all estimates. Tables of the estimated measures of sampling variability corresponding to each data table are available upon request.
Coverage error
Coverage error occurs when the sampling frame fails to completely enumerate the population of interest. There can be both undercoverage error, where organizations are not included in the frame, and overcoverage error, where organizations included in the frame are out of scope for the population of interest. The NPRA module uses the prior year’s Business Register to construct the frame, so any changes in organizations that would change the inclusion or exclusion of the organization to the survey scope could be sources of coverage error.
Another source of error involved the incorrect inclusion of organizations already represented in other R&D data collections. The R&D expenditures of these respondents was set to 0 where it was determined their R&D was already represented in other NCSES surveys. These cases included nonprofit organizations managing federal laboratories and some university-affiliated hospitals.
Nonresponse error
Nonresponse error refers to the differences in key estimates between organizations in the sampling frame that were sampled for data collection and those that responded. Unit nonresponse is treated by adjusting weighted reported and imputed data by multiplying each organization’s sampling weight by a nonresponse adjustment factor. The “
Technical Notes
” provide detailed descriptions of the adjustments for nonresponse.
Measurement error
The most common source of measurement error is misreporting the units (e.g., reporting whole dollars rather than thousands of dollars). This type of error was corrected during data processing.
Data Availability and Comparability
Data availability
Data are available at the survey page:
Data comparability
The questions in the FY 2020 module were first developed and used on the FY 2016 Nonprofit Research Activities Survey—which was the first national survey of R&D activities in the U.S. nonprofit population since 1997. Due to the differences in the surveys prior to FY 2020, those data are not comparable for trend analysis.
Data Products
Publications
NPRA data are published in data tables and analytic reports available at
the survey page
Electronic access
The NPRA module contains confidential data that are protected under Title 13 and Title 26 of the United States Code. Two types of data are currently available: public-use tabular statistics and restricted microdata. Public-use tabular statistics can be obtained on the
NCSES website
and by contacting NCSES. Restricted microdata are available at any of the 15 secure Research Data Centers administered by the Center for Economic Studies (CES) at the Census Bureau. Researchers interested in accessing microdata can apply for a restricted-use license by submitting a proposal to the CES, which evaluates proposals based on their benefit to the Census Bureau, scientific merit, feasibility, and risk of disclosure. To learn more about the Research Data Centers and how to apply, please visit the
CES page on research with restricted-use data
. For additional information about the application process, including how to initiate a project, please contact the administrator at the primary site where the research will be conducted. Per the Federal Cybersecurity Enhancement Act of 2015, the data are protected from cybersecurity risks through screening of the systems that transmit the data.
Technical Notes
Survey Overview (FY 2023 Survey Cycle)
Purpose
. The Nonprofit Research Activities (NPRA) module of the Annual Business Survey collects information on research and experimental development (R&D) performed or funded by private nonprofit organizations as defined in the Frascati Manual. Private nonprofit R&D organizations are tax-exempt nonprofit organizations whose R&D is not controlled by institutes of higher education, governments, or businesses.
The National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES) combines nonprofit sector data with data from the other sectors to estimate total national R&D expenditures. Results of the research activities data collected from nonprofit organizations will be used to report updated, valid, and reliable estimates of U.S. nonprofit R&D in
National Patterns of R&D Resources
and the Bureau of Economic Analysis system of national accounts.
The data collected will also be incorporated into the National Science Board’s biennial report,
Science and Engineering Indicators
. The R&D data from the nonprofit module will be reported in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) periodic publications and used for international comparisons of R&D efforts. NCSES also anticipates professional associations will use data from the nonprofit R&D module. Likely users in this category include, but are not limited to, the Science Philanthropy Alliance, the Association of Independent Research Institutes, and the Health Research Alliance.
Data collection authority
. Title 13, United States Code, Sections 8(b), 131, and 182; Title 42, United States Code, Section 1861-76 (NSF Act of 1950, as amended); and Section 505 within the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010, authorize this collection. Sections 224 and 225 of Title 13 require mandatory response. Office of Management and Budget No. 0607-1004. NCSES has reviewed this product for unauthorized disclosure of confidential information and approved its release (NCSES-DRN24-093).
Survey sponsor.
NCSES within NSF.
Survey collection and tabulation agent.
The survey is conducted annually by the Census Bureau in accordance with an interagency agreement with NCSES.
Key Survey Information
Frequency.
Annual.
Initial survey year.
FY 2020. (The questions in the FY 2020 module were first developed and used on the FY 2016 Nonprofit Research Activities Survey, which was the first national survey of R&D activities in the U.S. nonprofit population since 1997. Due to the differences between the surveys prior to FY 2020 and the current module, FY 2020 is considered the initial survey year for the annual series.)
Reference period.
FY 2023. The fiscal year referred to throughout this report was the nonprofit organizations’ fiscal year; for the majority of organizations reporting R&D performance, this fiscal year ended in either September or December 2023.
Response unit.
Organizations.
Sample or census.
Sample.
Population size.
45,000 organizations.
Sample size.
8,000 organizations.
Survey Design
Target population
. Included are all nonfarm organizations with at least one in-scope location filing Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Form 990 as a tax-exempt organization and with an annual payroll of $500,000 or more. See the section “Survey eligibility” for details on the out-of-scope establishment categories.
Sampling frame
. The sampling frame was constructed from the final 2022 Business Register and the Exempt Organizations Business Master File Extract (EO BMF). The Business Register is the Census Bureau’s comprehensive database of U.S. businesses. Business Register data are compiled from business tax returns, data collected from the economic census, and other Census Bureau surveys. The Business Register includes sole proprietorships, partnerships, and corporations reporting business activity to the IRS. The EO BMF is a publicly available list from the IRS of all organizations that are exempt from filing federal income taxes. Both files collect data at the establishment level; organizations may have multiple establishments. Information on industry classification, receipts, payroll, and employment was extracted from the Business Register during the sampling frame construction. Nonprofit status for each establishment was determined by matching the Business Register to the IRS nonprofit list.
Survey eligibility
The Business Register contains establishments that are out of scope for the nonprofit R&D module. These establishments are removed from the sampling universe. They include:
Establishments engaged in the following
North American Industry Classification System
(NAICS) industries:
110000, 111, or 112 - Agriculture production
482 - Railroads
491 - U.S. Postal Service
521 - Monetary authorities – central bank
525 - Funds, trusts, and other financial vehicles
8131, 8134 - Religious and civic organizations
814 - Private households
92 - Public administration
Establishments located in American Samoa, Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, Puerto Rico, or U.S. Virgin Islands
Establishments belonging to foreign entities
Government establishments
Establishments with zero payroll and zero employment
For-profit establishments or nonprofit establishments within multi-establishment organizations that have a majority of organization payroll in for-profit establishments
The sampling frame is stratified by primary type of organization, primary nonprofit activity, and state. Details on how organization-level sampling units are assigned to these strata follow.
The sample is selected at the organization level, so organizations with multiple establishments were combined into one organization-level unit for sampling. Organization payroll, receipts, and employment are set to the respective sums across all establishments within the organization.
Organizations with multiple establishments are assigned a single industry classification using a hierarchal system based on the largest payroll. For NAICS, the hierarchy is largest payroll sector, largest payroll 3-digit NAICS (within the largest sector), largest payroll 4-digit NAICS (within the largest 3-digit), and largest payroll 6-digit NAICS (within the largest 4-digit). For organization National Taxonomy of Exempt Entities (NTEE) code, the hierarchy is the first letter of the NTEE code with the largest payroll then the largest payroll of the full 3 characters of the NTEE code.
After organization-level units are created and organization-level codes are assigned, organizations are removed from the sampling frame if any of the following are true:
Primary activity is identified as any of the following:
Education services (NAICS sector 61 or NTEE code starting with “B”).
Housing and shelter (NTEE begins with “L” except those with the last 2 digits of “05”)
Recreation and sports (NTEE begins with “N” except those with last 2 digits of “05”)
Youth development (NTEE begins with “O” except those with last 2 digits of “05”)
Religion-related (NTEE begins with “X” except those with last 2 digits of “05”)
Mutual benefit (NTEE begins with “Y” except those with last 2 digits of “05”)
The organization is also in the Business Enterprise Research and Development (BERD) Survey sampling frame.
Organization payroll is less than $500,000 annually.
Education services organizations are out of scope because the R&D for those organizations is measured by the Higher Education Research and Development (HERD) Survey. Organizations also in the BERD Survey sampling frame are removed because their R&D is measured by the BERD Survey. The remaining criteria identify other organizations that are unlikely to perform R&D activities, and these organizations are removed.
Sample
stratification and allocation
. All records in the nonprofit sample universe are assigned a primary nonprofit activity stratum as follows:
If the organization’s NAICS code begins with “62” or the first character of NTEE is “E” then its stratum is set to “AB” (Healthcare).
Else if the NAICS code begins with “5417” then its stratum is set to “C” (Science and technology).
Remaining unclassified organizations have their stratum set to “D” (Other).
The nonprofit R&D frame is stratified by state and primary nonprofit activity (healthcare, science and technology, and all other organizations) (
table A-1
). Within these strata some nonprofits were selected with certainty based on the following criteria.
Organizations with known R&D activity (1,300 organizations)
Organizations larger than stratum-specific payroll cutoffs (850 organizations)
The nonprofit R&D sample consisted of 8,000 organizations, and 2,100 were selected with certainty.
The remaining 5,900 noncertainty cases were selected using systematic stratified random sample selection, with a maximum sample weight of 7.4.
Data Collection and Processing Methods
Data collection
. The survey was mailed to 8,000 nonprofit organizations in July 2024. The organizations were sent a letter informing them of their requirement to report under Title 13, United States Code, Sections 224 and 225. The letter also provided instructions on accessing and submitting the survey online. There were three mail follow-ups and four e-mail follow-ups conducted to increase response. The collection period closed on 30 December 2024.
Mode
. The data were collected using an electronic instrument.
Response rates.
Check-in rate
. The check-in rate is defined as the number of organizations that submitted surveys divided by the total number of all organizations in the sample (sample size). Response to individual questions did not factor into this metric. At the close of the collection period, the check-in rate was 79% (
table A-2
).
Unit response rate (URR).
For this survey, the unit response is defined as an organization providing total expenses or employment and answering the R&D performed and R&D funded questions. URR is the ratio between the number of unit respondents in a sample (numerator) and the total sample size (denominator), expressed as a percentage. The URR was 78% (
table A-3
).
Item response rates
. The distribution of values reported by sample organizations in the nonprofit module is highly skewed. Thus, rather than report unweighted item response rates, total quantity response rates are calculated, which are based on weighted data.
Total quantity response rate (TQRR).
For a given published estimate other than count or ratio estimates, TQRR is the percentage of the weighted estimate based on reported data (including data obtained from other sources determined to be equivalent in quality to reported data). The TQRR for total expenditures for R&D performed by nonprofit organizations in the United States in 2023 was 72%.
Total quantity nonresponse rate (TQNR).
For a given published estimate, TQNR, defined as 100% minus TQRR, is calculated for each tabulation cell from the nonprofits, except for cells that contain count or ratio estimates. TQNR measures the combined effect of the procedures used to handle unit and item nonresponse on the published estimate. Detailed imputation rates are available upon request.
Data editing
. Prior to tabulating the data, response data were reviewed and edited with both automated and manual procedures to correct detectable reporting errors. R&D data were tabulated for records reporting $50,000 or more in R&D expenditures.
Survey analysts reviewed the R&D data reported by the respondents. The data were evaluated by calculating the reported R&D expenses to expense ratios and reviewing the organization’s website information on R&D activity as needed.
Additional reporting errors were detected and corrected using an automated data edit system designed to review the data for reasonableness and consistency.
During the editing process each year, sometimes data for earlier years are revised to correct errors in reporting or eligibility determinations for organizations. For accurate historical data, use only the most recently released data tables.
Imputation.
Item nonresponse.
If detailed R&D data, such as type of R&D or field, were not reported by a nonprofit and could not be inferred by survey analysts, they were imputed in the same average ratio as reported by other nonprofits in the same sample stratum.
Unit nonresponse.
Estimates produced from the survey data include adjustments to account for organizations that did not respond to the survey (unit nonresponse). If available, data from public tax filings, annual reports, or audits were used to impute expenses and R&D for select nonprofits known to have performed large amounts of R&D based on public information or prior surveys. Otherwise, unit nonresponse is handled by adjusting weighted reported data as follows. Each organization’s sampling weight is multiplied by a nonresponse adjustment factor. To calculate the adjustment factors, each organization in the sample that is eligible for tabulation is assigned to an adjustment cell. The adjustment cells for nonprofits are based on certainty or noncertainty sampling strata and NAICS sector. For NAICS sector, there are three categories: healthcare, science and technology, and all other organizations. For a given adjustment cell, the nonresponse adjustment factor is the ratio of the sum of the sampling weights for all organizations included in the cell to the sum of the sampling weights for all organizations included in the cell with reported data. For the nonresponse adjustment, an organization is considered a respondent if it satisfies the definition of response as detailed in the “Response rates” section, paragraph on URR
above.
Weighting
. The survey data are weighted for sampling and unit nonresponse.
Industry classification.
Nonprofit organizations are classified into one of three types of organizations at the time of sampling: healthcare, science and technology, and all other organizations. Organizations are tabulated based on the classification at the time of sampling. Classification is based on both the 2017 NAICS and the NTEE. An NTEE code is not available for all organizations.
Variance estimation
. This survey uses delete-a-group jackknife variance estimator. Note that certainty cases do not contribute to the sampling variance. The delete-a-group jackknife variance estimator requires that every sampling stratum contains at least two sampled organizations. Sampling strata that do not meet this requirement are collapsed as needed to create a new set of variance estimation strata that satisfies this requirement.
Survey Quality Measures
The estimates produced from the NPRA module are subject to both sampling and nonsampling errors.
Sampling error
. Sampling error is the difference between estimates obtained from the sample and results theoretically obtainable from a comparable complete enumeration of the sampling frame. For published estimates from NPRA, standard errors are produced for estimated percentages, while relative standard errors (RSEs) are produced for all estimates. Tables of the estimated measures of sampling variability corresponding to each data table are available upon request.
Coverage error
. Coverage error occurs when the sampling frame fails to completely enumerate the population of interest. There can be both undercoverage error, where organizations are not included in the frame, and overcoverage error, where organizations included in the frame are out of scope for the population of interest. The NPRA module uses the prior year’s Business Register to construct the frame, so any changes in organizations that would change the inclusion or exclusion of the organization to the survey scope could be sources of coverage error.
Another source of error involved the incorrect inclusion of organizations already represented in different R&D data collections. The R&D of these respondents was set to 0 if it was determined their R&D was already represented in other surveys. These cases included nonprofit organizations managing federal laboratories and some university-affiliated hospitals.
Nonresponse error
. Nonresponse error refers to the differences in key estimates between organizations in the sampling frame that were sampled for data collection and those that responded. For unit nonresponse, multiple follow-ups were conducted with nonresponding organizations to mitigate nonresponse error. The final survey weights incorporated nonresponse adjustments to reduce the risk of nonresponse bias in the final estimates.
To minimize item nonresponse, organizations were encouraged to report estimates of expenditures when actual dollar amounts could not be provided. This approach reduces item nonresponse error risk but may introduce measurement error. Imputation was conducted to help mitigate item nonresponse error.
Measurement error
. The most common source of measurement error was reporting in different units (e.g., reporting in whole dollars rather than in thousands of dollars). This was corrected during data processing.
Data Comparability
The questions in the FY 2020 module were first developed and used on the FY 2016 Nonprofit Research Activities Survey—which was the first national survey of R&D activities in the U.S. nonprofit population since 1997. Due to the differences in the surveys prior to FY 2020, those data are not comparable for trend analysis.
Definitions
Contract employees.
Contract employees are individuals contracted to work on projects otherwise fully performed by organization staff.
Depreciation and amortization.
Depreciation on tangible research assets, such as buildings or equipment, as well as amortization of intangible assets, such as patents.
Employment
. Paid employment consists of full- and part-time employees, including salaried officers and executives of corporations who were on the payroll in the pay period including 12 March 2023. Included are employees on sick leave, holidays, and vacations; not included are proprietors and partners of unincorporated businesses.
Other support personnel
. Staff who provide direct support services for the research project.
Research and experimental development (R&D)
. R&D is planned, creative work aimed at discovering new knowledge or devising new applications of available knowledge. This includes (1) activities aimed at acquiring new knowledge or understanding without specific immediate commercial applications or uses (basic research); (2) activities aimed at solving a specific problem or meeting a specific commercial objective (applied research); and (3) systematic use of research and practical experience and resulting in additional knowledge, which is directed to producing new or improved goods, services, or processes (experimental development). R&D includes both direct costs, such as salaries of researchers and administrative and overhead costs clearly associated with the organization’s R&D. However, R&D does not include expenditures for routine product testing, quality control, and technical services unless they are an integral part of an R&D project. R&D also does not include market research; efficiency surveys or management studies; literary, artistic, or historical projects, such as films, music, or books and other publications; and prospecting or exploration for natural resources.
Basic research.
Activities aimed at acquiring new knowledge or understanding without specific immediate commercial applications or uses.
Applied research.
Activities aimed at solving a specific problem or meeting a specific commercial objective
Experimental development.
Systematic work, drawing on research and practical experience and resulting in additional knowledge, which is directed to producing new products or processes or to improving existing products or processes.
Researchers
. Professionals engaged in the conception or creation of new knowledge.
Research technicians
. Staff who work under the supervision of researchers to conduct research activities.
Research volunteers
. Unpaid workers contributing appreciable and essential activity to research performed by the organization. Their research skills should be comparable to the organization’s employees. Individuals funded by other sources to conduct research at the organization are not considered volunteers.
Salaries, wages, and fringe benefits.
Costs for all compensation and benefits of employees who are included in the total R&D expenditures reported.
Technical Tables
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Organizations in the target population and selected for the sample, by industry: FY 2023
Table A-1
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Response measures: FYs 2020–23
Table A-2
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Unit response rates, by industry: FY 2023
Table A-3
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Questionnaires
2025 Annual Business Survey Section E: Research Activities at Nonprofit Organizations
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1.9 MB
2024 Annual Business Survey Section E: Research Activities at Nonprofit Organizations
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1.4 MB
2023 Annual Business Survey Section C: Research Activities at Nonprofit Organizations
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1.6 MB
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Data
Product ID
NSF 25-350
Published
September 2025
Data Tables
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Total expenses of nonprofit organizations, by type of nonprofit organization and R&D activity: FY 2023
Table 1
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Total expenditures for R&D performed by nonprofit organizations, by type of nonprofit organization: FYs 2020–23
Table 2
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Total expenditures for R&D performed by nonprofit organizations, by type of nonprofit organization and type of cost: FYs 2022–23
Table 3
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R&D expenditures: FYs 2021–23
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Total expenditures for R&D performed by nonprofit organizations, by source of funds and type of nonprofit organization: FYs 2021–23
Table 4
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Total expenditures for R&D performed by nonprofit organizations, by field and type of nonprofit organization: FYs 2021–23
Table 5
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Total expenditures for R&D performed by nonprofit organizations, by source of funds, type of R&D, and type of nonprofit organization: FYs 2021–23
Table 6
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R&D funding provided to others: FYs 2021–23
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Funds provided by nonprofit organizations to others for R&D, by type of agreement and type of nonprofit organization: FYs 2021–23
Table 7
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R&D personnel: FYs 2021–23
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Employees of nonprofit organizations, by R&D activity and type of nonprofit organization: FYs 2021–23
Table 8
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Persons working on R&D at nonprofit organizations, by employment status and type of nonprofit organization: FYs 2021–23
Table 9
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R&D employees of nonprofit organizations, by occupation category and type of nonprofit organization: FYs 2021–23
Table 10
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Full-time equivalent R&D employees of nonprofit organizations, by occupation category and type of nonprofit organization: FYs 2021–23
Table 11
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Capital expenditures: FYs 2022–23
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Capital expenditures at R&D-performing organizations, by type of nonprofit organization: FYs 2022–23
Table 12
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Total capital expenditures for R&D: FYs 2022–23
Table 13
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State distributions: FYs 2021–23
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Total expenses of nonprofit organizations with R&D activity, by state: FYs 2021–23
Table 14
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Employees of nonprofit organizations with R&D activity, by state: FYs 2021–23
Table 15
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Total expenditures for R&D performed by nonprofit organizations, by state and source of funds: FYs 2021–23
Table 16
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Funds provided by nonprofit organizations to others for R&D, by state: FYs 2021–23
Table 17
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Persons working on R&D at nonprofit organizations, by state: FYs 2021–23
Table 18
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Full-time equivalent R&D employees of nonprofit organizations, by state: FYs 2021–23
Table 19
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General Notes
These tables present the results of the Nonprofit Research Activities (NPRA) FY 2023 module of the 2024 Annual Business Survey. The NPRA Survey was funded by the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics within the U.S. National Science Foundation, and data collection was conducted by the Census Bureau.
NCSES has reviewed this product for unauthorized disclosure of confidential information and approved its release (NCSES-DRN24-093).
Suggested Citation
National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES). 2025.
Nonprofit Research Activities: FY 202
NSF 25-350. Alexandria, VA: U.S. National Science Foundation. Available at
Analysis
Featured Survey Analysis
U.S. Nonprofits Spent $31 Billion on R&D Activities in FY 2023
September 24, 2025
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NPRA Survey Overview
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Survey
FFRDC Research and Development Survey
The FFRDC Research and Development Survey is the primary source of information on separately accounted for R&D expenditures at federally funded research and development centers in the United States.
Data Collection
Science and Engineering Indicators
This biennial report to Congress provides a broad base of quantitative information about U.S. science, engineering, and technology.
Survey
Higher Education Research and Development (HERD) Survey
The HERD Survey is the primary source of information on research and development expenditures at U.S. colleges and universities.
Survey
Survey of Federal Funds for Research and Development
The Survey of Federal Funds for Research and Development is an annual census of federal agencies that conduct research and development (R&D) programs and the primary source of information about U.S. federal funding for R&D.
Survey
Survey of Federal Science and Engineering Support to Universities, Colleges, and Nonprofit Institutions
The Federal S&E Support Survey is the only source of comprehensive data on federal science and engineering funding to individual academic and nonprofit institutions.
Survey
Survey of State Government Research and Development
The Survey of State Government Research and Development (R&D) provides comprehensive, uniform statistics regarding the extent of R&D activity performed and funded by departments and agencies in each of the nation’s 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
Survey
Survey of Science and Engineering Research Facilities
The Survey of Science and Engineering Research Facilities is a congressionally mandated, biennial survey that collects data on the amount, construction, repair, renovation, and funding of research facilities at U.S. colleges and universities.
Data Collection
Federal R&D Funding, by Budget Function
Explore data on the federal budget authority for research and development (R&D) and R&D plant by function.
Survey Contact
For additional information about this survey or the methodology, contact
Phone
(703) 292-8780
E-mail
ncsesweb@nsf.gov
Address
National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics
Randolph Building, 401 Dulany Street
Alexandria, VA 22314
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