The results of the 1972-1981 National Science Foundation surveys on academic research and development (R&D) funds, the employment and utilization of scientists and engineers, and the characteristics of graduate students enrolled in the sciences and engineering (S/E) are presented. Findings include the following: the steady growth to university S/E employment and graduate S/E enrollment that characterized the 1970s was maintained into 1980, but a downturn in R&D expenditures in real dollars is occurring in 1981; academic R&D expenditures from all financial sources accounted for about one-tenth of the national R&D total; during the 1977-79 period, nonfederally funded R&D expenditures at universities and colleges grew at an average annual rate nearly twice that of federally financed R&D expenditures; as in earlier years, the life sciences accounted for more than one-half of all academic R&D expenditures in 1979; capital expenditures for S/E activities at universities and colleges fell at an average annual rate of three percent, or nearly 10 percent in constant dollars between 1972 and 1979; the 325,000 scientists and engineers employed in higher education institutions in January 1980 represents a three percent per year increase over the number employed in 1978; life scientists made up the largest single group of academic S/E professionals through the 1973-1980 period; 375,000 students were enrolled in courses of study leading to graduate degrees in S/E, up two percent per year since fall 1977; and women made up 33 percent of the full-time S/E graduate students enrolled in doctorate-granting institutions in 1980, up from 25 percent in 1975. Questionnaires, statistical tables, and technical notes are appended. (SW)