HERD Survey

The Research Intelligence (RI) team submits Northern Illinois University’s annual research and development (R&D) data to the National Science Foundation through the Higher Education Research and Development (HERD) Survey. The team collaborates with campus partners to analyze the results and share insights with the university community. Conducted by the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics within the NSF, the HERD Survey collects detailed information on R&D expenditures from U.S. higher education institutions that invest at least $150,000 annually in research.

The survey covers various aspects such as:

  • Fields of research: Categorizes expenditures by specific research areas.
  • Sources of funds: Identifies funding sources, including federal, state, and private entities.
  • Types of research: Differentiates between basic, applied, and experimental development.
  • R&D personnel: Gathers information on the number and roles of individuals involved in R&D activities.

This survey is crucial for understanding the landscape of R&D in higher education and helps inform policy and funding decisions 

The Division of Research and Innovation Partnerships and the Office of Institutional Effectiveness coordinate each year with several university units to complete and submit NIU’s survey.

HERD Dashboard

An interactive dashboard of NIU R&D expenditures by fund source and college or division.

HERD Surveys

You must be signed in to your NIU Microsoft 365 account to view these documents:

For information about the HERD Survey, including data tables and rankings, please visit the NSF HERD Website.

For questions related to NIU's completion of the survey or for additional data, please contact Dara Little, associate vice president for research, at dlittle@niu.edu.

Contact Us

Sayantani Adkhari
Business Intelligence Specialist
sadhikari1@niu.edu

Adnan Adjaz Pasha
Data Analyst
aajazpasha@niu.edu