Twelve federal agencies and one cross agency program spent roughly $2.7 billion in fiscal year 1987 in support of research and development in biotechnology, according to a report by the Congressional Office of Technology Assessment (OTA) that was released today. Federal support of biotechnology has increased every year since 1984.

The National Institutes of Health contributed by far the largest share of federal support, approximately $2.3 billion, or 84%; the Department of Defense, $119 million, the National Science Foundation, $93.8 million; the U.S. Department of Agriculture, $84 million, and the Department of Energy $61.4 million, OTA reports.