Sparking American Economic Growth - The Science Coalition

A message from the office of the science coalition president Abigail Robbins

The Science Coalition (TSC) is proud to celebrate our 30th year and the 5th anniversary of our “Sparking American Economic Growth” report during this critical juncture.

TSC is comprised of more than 50 of the nation’s leading public and private research universities. We’re dedicated to sustaining the federal government’s investment in fundamental scientific research to stimulate the economy, spur boundless innovation, and drive American competitiveness for generations to come.

Over the last 30 years, TSC has fortified our presence in Washington, where we’re known for our legacy Champions of Science Award, which is given yearly to members of Congress whose actions and votes consistently reflect their support for fundamental scientific research, and, more recently, our “Science of” event series, which demonstrates how federally funded scientific research permeates all industries, sectors, and aspects of our businesses, communities, and daily lives.

But most importantly, we’re known for our tireless advocacy to inform myriad stakeholders, including policymakers and the public, of the tremendous and enduring impact of scientific research on the American economy, our nation’s competitiveness, and on our broader society. Put simply, federally funded scientific research saves and improves lives, boosts the economy, and progresses humanity forward.

American higher education research institutions are second to none. Our nation’s universities are envied around the world for conducting cutting-edge research and creating educational opportunities. These institutions deliver critical scientific breakthroughs and discoveries that set the course for established industries, incubate competitive startups, found new companies, create well-paying jobs, and drive economic growth in communities nationwide. Science is at the core of American life and the American economy. Accordingly, TSC is proud to share this year’s “Sparking American Economic Growth” report, which provides a look back – and a look forward – to the significantly beneficial economic impacts of fundamental federally funded scientific research conducted by American colleges and universities.

Sincerely,

Abigail Robbins

2025 President

The Science Coalition

The Science Coalition New Member Spotlight

The Science Coalition proudly welcomed several new members since our last Sparking Economic Growth report in 2021 – expanding our ranks to 55 research institutions.

American University (AU) is committed to advancing impactful research across disciplines. AU focuses on scholarship, learning, and community engagement. The university has launched initiatives to mobilize cross-disciplinary research efforts that address complex societal challenges. AU emphasizes undergraduate research opportunities and provides funding for student projects and conference travel.

Binghamton University is recognized as the top-ranked public university in New York, with a strong focus on academics and vibrant research programs. The university prides itself on offering students a broad, interdisciplinary education with an international perspective. Binghamton’s commitment to research excellence is evident, with its professors ranking among the top 2% globally in their respective fields.

Georgetown University is a Catholic and Jesuit, student-centered research university. The university is grounded in Catholic and Jesuit values that drives its mission to educate women and men to be reflective lifelong learners, to be responsible and active participants in civic life and to live generously in service to others. The university’s location in the nation’s capital, provides unique opportunities for research and engagement with public policy and diplomacy, NGOs, and public service.

Old Dominion University (ODU) is a forward-focused public doctoral research institution. ODU collaborates with strategic partners to address challenges and propose solutions that impact coastal resilience, health innovations, maritime systems, and national security. In 2022, ODU achieved R1 Research Institution status from Carnegie, highlighting its commitment to high-level research across its academic colleges and schools.

Syracuse University is a top-tier research institution recognized for its interdisciplinary approach and innovative solutions to global challenges. With expertise spanning fields like data science, environmental sustainability, and national security, its research capabilities drive impactful discoveries and foster collaboration across academia, government, and industry.

The University of Alaska system inspires learning, and advances and disseminates knowledge through teaching, research, and public service, emphasizing the North and its peoples. For the past 100 years, the University of Alaska system has built a tremendous foundation in Arctic research, education, and leadership. As the nation’s premier Arctic university — with expertise and programs in multidisciplinary Arctic scholarship, research, global policy, and Indigenous and local knowledge — they are focused on finding solutions to the challenges in the Arctic.

The University at Albany (UAlbany) positions itself as a premier public research university with strengths in atmospheric sciences, public health, and cybersecurity. Known for its collaborations with government and industry, UAlbany drives innovation and discovery in addressing societal challenges while preparing students for impactful careers.

The University of Cincinnati (UC) is renowned as the founder of cooperative education (Co-op). UC’s research priorities are closely tied to its emphasis on experiential learning and entrepreneurship. In the 2023- 24 academic year, more than 8,300 UC students completed co-op experiences, earning an estimated $88.8 million during their placements. This highlights UC’s commitment to combining academic research with realworld application.

Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) is a leading public research institution known for its innovation and community impact. With strengths in life sciences, engineering, and the arts, VCU drives advancements in areas like healthcare, biotechnology, and public policy through interdisciplinary research and robust industry partnerships.

Why it Matters:
Federal Investments in Science

Return on Investment

Federally funded scientific research provides a significant return on investment for the American economy – igniting new businesses, creating thousands of jobs, shoring up local economies, and contributing scores to the national gross domestic product.

According to the National Science Foundation’s National Science Board¹, the number of business startups powered by licensed university technology continues to grow. In fact, over the last 15 years – since the first edition of our Sparking Economic Growth report – startups fueled by licensed university technology have grown by more than 80%, increasing from 554 startups in 2006 to 1,009 startups and counting in 2021.

The National Science Foundation’s National Science Board has also found² that the number of university technology licenses executed by small and large companies continues to substantially increase – another key indicator of the economic impact that college and university scientific research endeavors make on the American economy.

Economists have consistently found that government-funded research and development(R&D) is critical for economic expansion and productivity growth.

According to United for Medical Research³, every $1 in federal research funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) generates nearly $2.56 of economic activity. Additionally, NIH funding supported 407,782 jobs and generated $94.58 billion in new economic activity nationwide in FY 2024.
Andrew J. Fieldhouse and Karel Mertens at the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas⁴ found that government investments in scientific R&D have yielded returns of 150% to 300% since the postWorld War II period. Their research suggests government funding of non-defense R&D is self-financing – in the long run, the economic return on investment surpasses the initial federal outlay.
A study by Arnaud Dyèvre from the London School of Economics⁵ estimates that a 1% increase in government R&D funding generates roughly 0.024% in productivity increases after five years. In other words, after considering that government R&D is only a portion of overall U.S. R&D, a 1% increase in R&D funding drives more than a 1% increase in annual growth.
A paper from the National Bureau of Economic Research⁶ suggests federal agencies may even be underestimating the economic payoffs from government R&D investments. The paper found that returns on federally funded R&D appear to be substantially higher than the returns on other forms of federal investment, such as physical infrastructure.

Meeting Unique Needs

Federal funding for basic scientific research serves many critical functions that private-sector research investments simply cannot match.

Basic scientific research often pays⁷ longer-term and more transformational dividends. It also drives significant economic growth and helps increase productivity⁸. But the market-driven nature of the private sector doesn’t incentivize corporate investments in basic scientific research. Even though most companies rely on basic research to fuel new innovations and discoveries, they tend to focus their scientific investments on applied research – because it benefits their short-term bottom lines.

That’s where the federal government steps in. Since World War II, public sector investments in basic scientific research have formed the backbone of American innovation and ingenuity – helping our nation lead the world in scientific discovery, technological advancement, and economic growth and prosperity.

Without the federal government’s robust and sustained investments in basic scientific research, America’s position as a world-class leader in science and technology – and the economic benefits that come with that leadership position – will be in jeopardy.

Simply put, federal investments in basic scientific research at American colleges and universities help ensure that America remains at the forefront of technological breakthroughs, high-impact discoveries, and world-class science.

Challenges and Threats

American colleges and universities face increasing pressure around the world in the race to secure new patents and make technological advancements.

In 2023, only 58 American higher education institutions featured in the National Academy of Inventors’ (NAI) annual Top 100 list⁹, which ranks universities on innovation and inventions – a decline from NAI’s first Top 100 report in 2015, when 63 American universities made the list.

Despite the need for new technological breakthroughs and innovative cures, federal investments in scientific research have been stagnant for more than a decade (Fig 1) and are drastically declining as a percentage of US GDP (Fig 2).

¹ Invention, Knowledge Transfer, and Innovation | NSF – National Science Foundation. (2024). Nsf.gov. https://ncses.nsf.gov/pubs/nsb20241/figure/INV-13
² Invention, Knowledge Transfer, and Innovation | NSF – National Science Foundation. (2024). Nsf.gov. https://ncses.nsf.gov/pubs/nsb20241/figure/INV-13
³ Annual Economic Report. (2025). United for Medical Research. https://www.unitedformedicalresearch.org/annual-economic-report/
⁴ Fieldhouse, A. J., & Mertens, K. (2023). The Returns to Government R&D: Evidence from U.S. Appropriations Shocks. Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, Working Papers, 2023 (2305).
⁵ Lse, A., Bellifemine, M., De Ridder, M., Doepke, M., Dossi, G., Hazell, J., Ilzetzki, E., Lambert, P., Landais, C., Matcham, W., Mezzanotti, F.-I., Miranda, J., Reck, D., Reichardt, H., Schindler, Y., Seager, O., Smith, K., Spinnewijn, J., Soenarjo, A., & Tagade, A. (2024). Public R&D Spillovers and Productivity Growth. https://www.arnauddyevre.com/files/arnaud_dyevre_jmp.pdf
⁶ Gullo, T., Page, B., Weiner, D., & Williams, H. (2025). Estimating the Economic and Budgetary Effects of Research Investments. National Bureau of Economic Research. https://doi.org/10.3386/w33402
⁷ Barrett, P., Hansen, N.-J., Natal, J.-M., & Noureldin, D. (2021, October 6). Why Basic Science Matters for Economic Growth. IMF. https://www.imf.org/en/Blogs/Articles/2021/10/06/blog-ch3-weo-why-basic-science-matters-for-economic-growth
⁸ IMF. (2025). Imf.org. https://www.imf.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/eng-weo-chp-3-sept-28-chart-3.png
⁹ Rittenhouse, R. (2024, June 4). 2023 Top 100 US Universities Announced by NAI – NAI. NAI. https://academyofinventors.org/2023-top-100-us-universities-announced-by-nai/

What They’re Saying:
American Voters Voice Strong Support for Federally Funded Scientific Research

Maintaining the federal government’s robust investments in scientific research remains a top bipartisan priority. According to The Science Coalition’s key findings from a national survey of registered voters:

Over 8 in 10 American voters believe it’s important for the U.S. to be the global leader in scientific research and technology.

Three-quarters of voters approve of the federal government using taxpayer funds to invest in scientific research, with strong bipartisan support.

A majority of voters across political parties say the federal government should invest more in scientific research.

Voters recognize the importance of investing in scientific research, and see outcomes like lifesaving medicines, enhanced national security, driving economic growth as benefits to society.

The national online survey was conducted among 1,538 registered voters from March 25-31, 2025.

Universities

American University

Auburn University

Binghamton University

Brown University

Columbia University

Dartmouth College

Georgetown University

Harvard University

Johns Hopkins University

Marquette University

New York University

North Carolina State University

Northeastern University

Northern Illinois University

Old Dominion University

Penn State

Princeton University

Rochester Institute of Technology

Rutgers University

Stanford University

Stony Brook University

Syracuse University

The Ohio State University

University at Albany

University at Buffalo

University of Alaska

University of California Berkley

University of California Santa Cruz

University of Cincinnati

University of Colorado Boulder

University of Florida

University of Illinois

University of Iowa

University of Kansas

University of Maryland

University of Michigan

University of Nebraska

University of Notre Dame

University of Oregon

University of Pennsylvania

University of Rochester

University of Washington

University of Wisconsin-Madison

Virginia Commonwealth University

Washington State University

Wayne State University

Looking Ahead:
A Message from the Science Coalition Board of Directors

Robust and sustained scientific research funding from the federal government helps strengthen American competitiveness around the world, fortify our leadership in cutting-edge science, and bolster our economy.

These investments help our nation continue to lead the world in defense technology, aerospace, artificial intelligence, quantum computing, nuclear fusion, biotechnology, medical research, cures, and treatments – and many other advanced fields. They also create opportunities for young and talented American researchers to access hands-on training and develop real-world skills, which strengthens our nation’s science, technology, and research workforce pipeline.

Federal funding for scientific research remains a top priority for Americans across the political spectrum. It must remain a top priority for policymakers as well.

In the years ahead, The Science Coalition will continue to advocate for and demonstrate the impact of critical scientific research funding from the federal government to help accelerate America’s scientific leadership and economic competitiveness for generations to come.

Samantha Booth

Rutgers University

Kathleen Drew

University of Michigan

Annie Nguyen

University of California

Kristin Dini

Old Dominion University

Camille Hosman

Stanford University

Julia Rowe

Northern Illinois University

Jacob Dowd

Washington State University

Carly Katz

Virginia Commonwealth University

Maya Temperley

Rochester Institute of Technology

Reports

All five volumes of The Science Coalition’s Sparking Economic Growth report are available below. Each highlights a different set of American innovation success stories—companies created from federally funded university research—that are contributing to job creation and U.S. economic growth.

2025
Sparking American Economic Growth

A message from the office of the science coalition president Abigail Robbins

The Science Coalition New Member Spotlight