This volume analyzes data from a National Science Foundation survey on the financial and human resources devoted to research and development (R&D) in the United States, and compares U.S. performance to that of other nations. After some general notes about National Science Foundation surveys and performer-reported bases, the text: (1) highlights research and development expenditures by sector and state; (2) notes trends in national research and development support; (3) examines the ratio of R&D to the gross domestic product and to the/total budget ratio; (4) reports measures of national performance patterns by sector and state; (5) reports measures of spending by type of research--basic, applied, developmental; and (6) estimates numbers of research and development scientists and engineers. Two appendixes present technical notes and corresponding tables; a third appendix contains statistical data, organized in 40 tables and categorized according to total national expenditures, federal government expenditures, industry expenditures, and university and college expenditures. (CH)