Distribution of Researcher-Level Funding Allocation from US Federal Agencies

Abstract

This study examines micro-level trends in research funding by analyzing 12 years of grant distribution data across three major U.S. federal funding agency groups: Department of Health and Human Services, National Science Foundation, and an aggregated group of other agencies. Using longitudinal data on principal investigator funding patterns, grant counts, and distribution metrics including Gini coefficients, we investigate whether cumulative advantage dynamics characterize the U.S. research funding system. We find that HHS demonstrates broader access and a democratization approach to funding, NSF pursues a policy-driven strategy based on sustainable growth while actively preventing accumulation, and other federal agencies implement selective but equitable consolidation of individual funding levels within an elite PI pool. Contrary to expectations of growing inequity, this analysis reveals three distinct strategies aimed at countering cumulative advantage while maintaining agency priorities and facilitating scientific growth.