NSF HERD
Understanding the NSF HERD Survey and Its Importance for Carnegie Classifications
What is the NSF HERD Survey?
The NSF HERD Survey (National Science Foundation Higher Education Research and Development Survey) is a comprehensive annual survey that collects data on research and development (R&D) expenditures from U.S. higher education institutions. Conducted by the National Science Foundation (NSF), the HERD survey is the primary data source on university spending for research activities, covering various funding sources, research disciplines, and institutional spending patterns.
The survey gathers detailed information on:
- Total R&D expenditures by institution
- Source of funds (federal, state, institutional, business, non-profit, and other sources)
- Fields and disciplines where R&D dollars are spent
- Types of research expenditures (salaries, equipment, software, etc.)
Why is the HERD Survey Important?
The NSF HERD survey is vital because it serves as a benchmark for understanding how institutions invest in research and contributes directly to national databases on academic research spending. The data collected impacts not only institutional rankings and public perception but also influences the Carnegie Classification of institutions.
For institutions like The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV), submitting accurate and timely HERD survey data is crucial. The survey data:
- Impacts Carnegie Classifications: The Carnegie Classification for doctoral universities relies heavily on R&D expenditure data as a primary criterion for research-intensive classifications like R1 (Very High Research Activity) and R2 (High Research Activity).
- Guides Funding and Resource Allocation: Federal and state agencies often use HERD data to make funding decisions and allocate resources, directly impacting the institution’s ability to attract new grants and funding opportunities.
- Enhances Institutional Reputation: A higher R&D expenditure profile showcases UTRGV’s commitment to research, potentially attracting top faculty, researchers, and students while strengthening its status as a research-driven university.
How is the HERD Survey Submitted?
The HERD survey is usually prepared by an institution’s research or finance department, gathering R&D expenditure data from various departments, financial records, and sponsored research offices. The survey must be:
- Completed and reviewed internally by relevant staff and departments to ensure data accuracy.
- Submitted online through the NSF’s survey platform, typically between November and January each year.
This process involves a collaborative effort across multiple departments to capture all research spending accurately, regardless of funding source or discipline.
Who is Expected to Submit the HERD Survey?
The NSF expects all U.S. higher education institutions that conduct R&D activities to participate in the HERD survey. This includes:
- Doctoral Universities: Institutions that award significant numbers of doctoral degrees, particularly those with R&D expenditures and a strong research focus.
- Master’s and Bachelor’s Colleges/Universities: Those involved in R&D activities, even if on a smaller scale.
- Medical Schools and Specialized Institutions: Institutions conducting significant research, especially in health sciences, also report their R&D expenditures through the HERD survey.
For UTRGV, as an institution aspiring to enhance its research profile and achieve a higher Carnegie Classification, submitting the HERD survey is essential to showcase its growing research activity.
The Connection Between HERD Data and Carnegie Classifications
The Carnegie Classification system, which categorizes institutions based on their research activity, relies on NSF HERD data as a critical input. For example:
- R1 Classification (Very High Research Activity) requires institutions to meet thresholds in both R&D spending (at least $50 million annually) and doctoral degrees awarded (minimum of 70 research doctorates per year).
- R2 Classification (High Research Activity) requires institutions to have at least $5 million in R&D spending and award at least 20 research doctorates annually.
The HERD survey provides the data that Carnegie Classification analysts use to categorize institutions, so an institution’s classification largely depends on the accuracy and completeness of the information submitted. For UTRGV, submitting detailed and accurate HERD survey data is not only a compliance requirement but also an opportunity to improve its standing and work toward achieving R1 or R2 status.
Why is the HERD Survey Urgent for UTRGV?
Submitting the HERD survey with accurate and comprehensive data is critical for UTRGV’s aspirations to grow as a research institution. With the Carnegie Classification for 2025 scheduled to incorporate the latest data from the HERD survey, UTRGV’s future classification could be impacted directly by this submission. As UTRGV seeks to increase research activity and elevate its classification, the survey serves as an official record of the institution’s research footprint.
By accurately reporting its R&D expenditures, UTRGV can:
- Showcase Growth: Demonstrate the institution's expanding research efforts and commitment to research excellence.
- Attract Resources and Partnerships: Position UTRGV as a viable partner for research grants, funding agencies, and private sector partnerships.
- Prepare for R1/R2 Classification: Contribute to UTRGV’s classification as a research-intensive institution, which can drive further investments in research infrastructure and attract talent.
In summary, the NSF HERD survey is more than a reporting requirement; it is a strategic tool that directly influences UTRGV’s growth trajectory, classification, and potential to achieve R1 or R2 Carnegie status. Submitting the survey accurately and on time is essential for building UTRGV’s reputation as a competitive, research-focused institution.
User Manual: NSF HERD
Filters and Slicers
- State/Region: Allows users to filter institutions by specific states or regions, providing a targeted view of research expenditure distribution geographically.
- Institution Type: Filter by public, private, or other institution types to refine results based on organizational classification.
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
- Total Expenditure: Shows the aggregate research expenditure for the selected filters.
- Number of Institutions: Displays the total count of institutions represented in the view.
Cards
- Highlighted Expenditure by Selected State/Region: Displays expenditure specific to the selected state or region, offering a localized insight.
Visuals
- Map Visualization: Geographical distribution map showing the research expenditure across states/regions. Users can interact by clicking on specific regions to drill down into expenditure details.
- Bar Chart of Expenditure by Institution: Ranks institutions within the selected region by their research expenditure, allowing for easy comparison of top spenders.
Overall Functionality
This tab provides a geographical overview of research expenditure, allowing users to analyze and compare funding distribution across different regions and institutions. It’s valuable for understanding where research investments are concentrated.
Filters and Slicers
- Fiscal Year: Selects the fiscal year to analyze expenditure and institutional funding breakdowns.
- Institution: Filters data by specific institutions, refining the view to a single organization or group of interest.
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
- Total Institutional Expenditure: Represents the sum of expenditures across institutions within the selected filters.
Cards
- Institution-Level Highlight: Shows the expenditure for the selected institution or group of institutions, allowing users to track specific contributions.
Visuals
- Tree Diagram: Visually breaks down research expenditure into categories such as federal funding, state funding, and institutional funding sources. Users can expand or collapse categories to view detailed subcategories.
Overall Functionality
The tree diagram provides a comprehensive breakdown of funding sources, allowing users to see the distribution and proportion of various funding types within an institution’s total research expenditure.
Filters and Slicers
- Fiscal Year: Filter by fiscal year to compare growth over specific periods.
- Institution: Allows users to isolate data for individual institutions to track their annual growth.
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
- YoY Growth Rate for Expenditure: Measures the percentage growth or decline in research expenditure year over year.
- YoY Growth Rate for Doctorates: Shows the annual growth rate in the number of research doctorates awarded.
Cards
- Expenditure Growth Highlight: Summarizes the YoY growth rate for the selected institution, indicating if their expenditure is increasing or decreasing.
Visuals
- Line Chart for Expenditure Growth: Displays the trend of research expenditure growth across years, allowing users to identify any upward or downward trends.
- Bar Chart for Doctorates YoY Growth Rate: Highlights the YoY growth rate in research doctorates, showing which institutions are increasing their doctoral output.
Overall Functionality
This tab is focused on tracking growth in research expenditure and doctoral production, helping users evaluate trends and make comparisons over time to gauge institutional progress in research activities.
Filters and Slicers
- Institution Type: Filter by public, private, or other classifications for tailored comparisons.
- Fiscal Year: Allows comparison across different fiscal years to observe trends.
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
- Expenditure Comparison Metric: A KPI comparing expenditures among selected institutions.
Cards
- Comparison Summary: Displays key comparison metrics across selected institutions, such as expenditure differences and relative rankings.
Visuals
- Scatter Plot: Plots institutions based on their research expenditure and doctorate production, allowing users to see where each institution stands in relation to others.
- Comparison Table: Provides a tabular view of expenditure and doctorate numbers across institutions, facilitating side-by-side comparison.
Overall Functionality
This page allows users to directly compare institutions on key research metrics, highlighting relative positions and helping users identify leading and lagging institutions in research spending and productivity.
Filters and Slicers
- Source of Funds: Filter to show expenditure by specific sources, such as federal, state, or private funding.
- Fiscal Year: Selects data by fiscal year to show changes in funding sources over time.
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
- Federal vs. Non-Federal Funding: Shows the proportion of research funding coming from federal versus other sources.
Cards
- Funding Source Highlight: Provides a breakdown of the largest funding source for the selected filters, emphasizing significant contributors.
Visuals
- Stacked Bar Chart: Visualizes funding sources across different institutions, illustrating the proportion of federal, state, and other funds.
- Pie Chart of Funding Distribution: Displays the percentage of each funding source within the total research expenditure, giving a quick view of dependency on particular funding types.
Overall Functionality
This tab breaks down research expenditures by funding source, enabling users to see the diversity or concentration of funding streams and assess the stability of an institution’s research financing.Filters and Slicers
- Research Field/Discipline: Filter by specific research fields, such as life sciences or engineering.
- Institution: Allows filtering to show discipline-specific funding within particular institutions.
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
- Top Funded Fields: Highlights the research disciplines receiving the most funding within selected institutions or fiscal years.
Cards
- Field Highlight: Shows the most funded field for the selected institution or filter criteria.
Visuals
- Bar Chart of Expenditure by Field: Ranks research fields by funding level, making it easy to identify where resources are being allocated.
- Treemap by Discipline: A hierarchical view of research funding by discipline, with larger areas representing more significant funding.
Overall Functionality
This page helps users understand funding allocation by research discipline, providing insights into the institution's priority areas and strengths in specific research domains.
Filters and Slicers
- None for this page; it serves as an informational and guidance section.
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
- None; this page is designed to provide query guidance.
Cards
- Suggested Questions: Lists common questions for users to explore, each linking to predefined dashboard views.
Visuals
- Question Cards: Cards with suggested questions for exploring the dashboard, helping users navigate and understand available data.
Overall Functionality
This tab provides assistance to users on navigating the dashboard, with sample queries and explanations on how to interpret the visuals. It’s a helpful tool for users unfamiliar with the dashboard’s capabilities.
Filters and Slicers
- Institution: Filter by specific institutions to view detailed expenditure information.
- Fiscal Year: Allows selection by fiscal year for detailed yearly data.
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
- Detailed Expenditure Metric: Provides a granular view of expenditure breakdowns.
Cards
- Expenditure Highlights: Summarizes key metrics within the selected filters, showing important expenditure data.
Visuals
- Data Table: A comprehensive table displaying detailed expenditure information for each institution, including breakdowns by year and funding category.
- Line Chart: Shows expenditure trends over time for each selected institution, providing insights into spending growth or decline.
Overall Functionality
This page is designed for a deep dive into expenditure data, allowing users to explore detailed spending patterns at the institution level. It’s particularly useful for financial analysis and tracking historical expenditure trends.