University Funding: Federal Funding Mechanisms in Support of University Research

In response to a congressional request, GAO provided a summary of: (1) the past and current array of federal funding mechanisms, including relative magnitudes of support, used by the National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Departments of Health and Human Services, Defense, Energy, and Agriculture to provide funding for university research; (2) the trends over time in the federal agencies' use of funding mechanisms; and (3) funding mechanisms used by private foundations and voluntary associations in supporting university research.