Overview 
Survey Design
Survey Quality Measures
Trend Data
Availability of Data
1. Overview (FY 2006 survey cycle) 
a. Purpose
The Survey of State R&D Expenditures measures the extent of R&D activity performed and funded by each of the nation's 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico (collectively, state). By employing consistent, uniform definitions and collection techniques, the survey allows collection of state R&D expenditures data that are comparable nationwide, providing a source of data that were not previously widely available. Results of the survey are useful to a variety of data users interested in R&D performance, including state agencies, state policy makers, the National Science Board, the Office of Science and Technology Policy and other science policy makers, institutional researchers, and private organizations.
b. Respondents
The survey covers state government departments, agencies, independent commissions, and other entities determined to be state-run. It excludes state-run colleges and universities, which are canvassed as part of the NSF Survey of R&D Expenditures at Colleges and Universities. State-run laboratories or experiment stations controlled by state universities are excluded from the respondent universe, as are any entities determined to be nonprofit or private as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau government classification. Several industry-specific state commissions, which are generally chartered by state legislatures but are administered independently, are considered state agencies and included in the survey.
c. Key variables
- State agency or department
- State R&D expenditures
- Internal performers
- External performers
- Basic research
- Source of funds (federal, state, other)
- State R&D facilities
2. Survey Design
a. Target population and sample frame
The universe of interest covered all state departments, agencies, commissions, and dependent entities, except state-run colleges and universities, that had R&D activities for state fiscal years ending in 2006.
b. Sample design
Coordinators received a list of preselected agencies for their state that were believed to be involved with R&D in FY 2006. These agencies were identified in advance by the Census Bureau and NSF as having names that indicated a strong likelihood for providing R&D support, on the basis of reported R&D funding from a state survey conducted in 1996. These agencies were to be surveyed with certainty. State coordinators were encouraged to add agencies they thought would have R&D activities to the preselected list. State coordinators were allowed to add agencies until final survey closeout. The total preselected agency count was 320. State coordinators added 103 agencies to the respondent universe, for a total agency respondent universe of 423.
c. Data collection techniques
The survey was funded by the National Science Foundation and conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau by means of a Web-based instrument. The survey was launched in November 2006, and responses were collected through October 2007. The respondent questionnaire consisted of one screening question, intended to reduce the burden on agency respondents who did not have qualifying R&D expenditures during FY 2006, and four R&D expenditures data questions.
Before officially submitting data, state coordinators performed a final verification of aggregated agency data. All responses, including the initial agency data submissions and final state coordinator verifications, were received via the Web form or e-mail. Census staff performed basic logical edit checks and reviewed respondent comments, allowing staff to detect errors and work with state respondents to correct them.
d. Estimation techniques
All state and national totals are aggregates of reported agency data or amounts revised at the state level by state coordinators.
3. Survey Quality Measures
a. Sampling variability
Of the 416 agencies that responded to the survey, 252 (60.6%) reported having R&D activities in FY 2006. Of the 315 agencies preselected for the survey who responded, 212 (67.3%) reported having R&D. Of the 103 respondent agencies added to the survey by a state coordinator, 40 (39.6%) reported having R&D, which indicated that the preselection process for identifying R&D activities of state agencies was generally successful but not complete.
b. Coverage
Of the 52 states, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, 48 (92.3%) provided officially verified final state data. The four entities that did not officially verify data had some or all agencies submit data. The final agency response was 416 out of 423, a response rate of 98.3%. One state, Maine, did not submit individual agency data but submitted state totals via the state coordinator.
c. Nonresponse
No statistical methods were used to account for nonresponding agencies.
d. Measurement
State coordinators in Massachusetts, Michigan, New Mexico, and Rhode Island did not verify the aggregated agency data. Some reported data likely include expenditures for non-R&D activities, such as commercialization, environmental testing, or routine survey work. Some state data may also exclude minor R&D expenditure amounts from agencies not surveyed.
4. Trend Data
The FY 2006 survey inaugurated this data collection effort.
5. Availability of Data
a. Publications
The data from this survey are released in Detailed Statistical Tables in the series State Government R&D Expenditures, as well as in InfoBriefs.
b. Contact for more information
Additional information about this survey can be obtained by contacting:
John E. Jankowski,
Program Director,
Research and Development Statistics Program
Division of Science Resources Statistics
National Science Foundation
4201 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 965
Arlington, VA 22230
Phone: (703) 292-7781
E-mail: jjankows@nsf.gov
