This report is the 24th in an annual series that provides information on the magnitude and distribution of federal Research and Development (R&D) programs. The data for the 1974-76 period on which the report is based were received from agencies early in 1975 and reflect plans in the President's 1976 budget. They were disaggregated in the survey by a number of measures, such as character of work, performer, and field, which are analyzed in detail in the various sections of the report. The aggregates are related in the first section to broader economic indicators. Some of the highlights of the report include: (1) a 15 percent increase in 1976 in federal R&D obligations budget program totals; (2) although the share of the federal budget represented by the R&D has declined continuously from 1965 to 1975, it is estimated to increase the share to 6.3 percent; (3) federal agencies continue to comprise the major source of national R&D funding; (4) industry sources have provided a great deal; and (5) a slight decline in applied research obligations is shown. (Author/EB)