ABSTRACT
Investment in the built environment provides benefits across all sectors of the US economy. It is clear that construction activities affect nearly every aspect of the US quality of life and the economy, and that this industry is vital to the continued development of the national economy. Construction also has a major impact on US employment. In 2011 over 9 million people were employed in the construction industry, and construction employment has equalled between 6.5 and 8 per cent of total US employment in recent years. Federal-funded construction-related R&D vary widely by department and by year, reflecting some of the changing budget priorities between 1992 and 2009, the latest year for which published data from NSF are available. The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Civil Engineering Research Foundation (CERF) conducted a nationwide survey, co-sponsored by NSF, to examine how research efforts vary by funding source, programme area and type of research.
