US federal spending on scientific research and development is projected to have fallen by 4% from 2011 by the end of this year, according to a report from the US National Science Foundation (NSF) in Arlington, Virginia. The report, which collected data from the 27 US science-funding agencies, shows that spending reached US$140 billion in 2011 and is expected to slip to $134 billion this year. The 2014 total is likely to be even lower, says an NSF spokesperson, because it does not account for a 2013 across-the-board cut to discretionary spending.