It funded nearly two-thirds of the nation’s research and development — much of it for defense — defining the early Cold War. Industry now funds roughly three-quarters of U.S. research and development, while Washington’s share is less than a fifth. The infographic’s second layer also explores defense funding as a share of shrinking federal research and development. Defense research and development comprised about 85 percent of total funding in the Sputnik era, compared to roughly 49 percent today. Although we didn’t discuss who performs research and development (we focused instead on who funds it), that’s an interesting topic too.