Interactive guides

Explore the science

Follow the funding, track the people, and explore the history behind frontier science.

01
Follow the money

Science Funding

How federal investment in science changes over time. Follow decades of research funding, compare agencies, and see how today's budget fits into the longer history.

Explore the funding
Compare agenciesTrack appropriations
1960198020002020
DOD 49%
HHS 25%
DOD
DOD 49%
HHS
HHS 25%
DOE
DOE 11%
NASA
NASA 6%
NSF
NSF 4%
Other agencies
8 more 7%
Fig. 1 Real federal R&D, 1953 to 2023, in constant 2017 dollars, with five turning points marked; below it, the fiscal year 2025 split of $197 billion by agency. Source: AAAS Historical R&D Data.
02
Follow the people

Science Transfers

Where researchers are moving, and the stories behind their decisions. Follow individually verified moves on the live board, then explore historical migration patterns for a broader view.

Follow the moves
Explore the archiveHow we count
  1. USUnited States, net -20
  2. CNChina, net +7
  3. CHSwitzerland, net +5
  4. FRFrance, net +3
  5. HKHong Kong SAR, net +2
  6. GBUnited Kingdom, net +1
Fig. 2 Net flow among recorded senior-scientist moves in the 2025–26 window. Full moves only. 4 countries with smaller net changes are not shown. The board is still being populated; historical estimates cover a different population.
03
Explore the history

America 250

Discover the people, institutions, and breakthroughs that shaped American science. Move through the timeline to see individual discoveries in the context of the centuries around them.

Explore the timeline
Watch part oneWatch part two
Fig. 3 The 222 entries on the America 250 timeline placed by year, 1747 to 2025, with five milestones marked.