R&D turns upward in US

Expenditures in calendar year 1981 for research and development in the United States are expected to reach $68.6 billion, according to the annual forecast of the Battelle Columbus Laboratories. This represents an increase of $8.2 billion (13.7 percent) over the $60.4 billion that the National Science Foundation estimates was to be actually spent for R&D in 1980.

While most of the increase will be absorbed by continued inflation (estimated at 9.9 percent in 1981), Battelle forecasts a realm increase in R&D expenditures of 3.8 percent. This is slightly higher than the seven-year average rate of 3.4 percent in real R&D effort that has been experienced since 1973.

For 1981, Battelle sees an increase of 14.0 percent in federal support for R&D, with funding expected to be about $33.7 billion. This is 49.1 percent of the total R&D expenditures for 1981.

Industrial funding is forecast to be $32.4 billion, up 12.9 percent from 1980 . This sector is expected to account for 47.2 percent of the total R&D funding. Funding by academic institutions is expected to be $1.4 billion (2.1 percent of the total), and other nonpro fit organizations will provide $1.1 billion (1.6 percent).