WhereTaxMoneyGoesNational Science Foundation (NSF): federal spending, contracts and grants
In fiscal year 2026, National Science Foundation reported $6.6 billion in obligations and $8.1 billion in outlays, about 0.1% of all budgetary resources tracked on USAspending. Below: where its award money went, who received the most, and how its spending has changed since FY 2017.
FY 2026 figures are still being reported by agencies and will change as late submissions arrive.
Mission
To promote the progress of science; to advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare; to secure the national defense; and for other purposes.
How NSF awarded money in FY 2026
Award obligations are the part of an agency's spending that goes out as contracts, grants, loans, direct payments and other awards to outside recipients. The rest pays for salaries, internal operations and transfers that are not awards.
| Award type | Amount | Relative size |
|---|---|---|
| Grants | $5.9 billion | |
| Contracts | $622.4 million |
Obligations by fiscal year
FY 2026 obligations of $6.6 billion were down 34% from FY 2025 ($9.9 billion) and compare with $7.8 billion in FY 2017.
Show the numbers
| Fiscal year | Amount |
|---|---|
| FY 2026 | $6.6 billion |
| FY 2025 | $9.9 billion |
| FY 2024 | $9.7 billion |
| FY 2023 | $9.9 billion |
| FY 2022 | $9.5 billion |
| FY 2021 | $9.0 billion |
| FY 2020 | $8.6 billion |
| FY 2019 | $8.4 billion |
| FY 2018 | $8.1 billion |
| FY 2017 | $7.8 billion |
Top recipients, FY 2026
Ranked by award obligations from NSF. "Multiple recipients" groups aggregated or redacted records, such as payments to individuals.
| # | Recipient | Amount | Relative size |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Texas at Austin | $261.9 million | |
| 2 | Leidos, INC. | $242.7 million | |
| 3 | Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, INC. | $149.6 million | |
| 4 | Associated Universities INC | $148.0 million | |
| 5 | Battelle Memorial Institute | $129.8 million | |
| 6 | University Corporation for Atmospheric Research | $112.1 million | |
| 7 | University of California, San Diego | $105.4 million | |
| 8 | Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution | $100.3 million | |
| 9 | University of Washington | $97.5 million | |
| 10 | California Institute of Technology | $78.0 million |
Top states, FY 2026
By place of performance — where the work is done or the money is used.
| # | State | Amount | Relative size |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $732.4 million | |
| 2 | Virginia | $495.3 million | |
| 3 | Texas | $465.3 million | |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $402.8 million | |
| 5 | New York | $354.1 million | |
| 6 | Colorado | $308.3 million | |
| 7 | Florida | $220.0 million | |
| 8 | Illinois | $209.3 million | |
| 9 | Pennsylvania | $206.7 million | |
| 10 | North Carolina | $195.7 million |
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Source data last updated November 4, 2026 · Imported November 6, 2026 · Dollar figures are nominal and rounded. How these numbers are calculated · Report a problem