UF set a new milestone in fiscal year 2023 by conducting $1.25 billion in research, an increase of nearly 15% over 2022.
According to a UF press release, the new record comes one year after the university exceeded $1 billion for the first time as UF faculty added another $160 million to the total.
“This year’s success was due in large part to a record $530 million in spending on projects funded by the federal government and nearly $200 million in state and local government spending. Both were up about 13%,” according to the release.
The numbers reflect fiscal year spending that ended June 30 and include research expenditure data based on UF’s response to the National Science Foundation’s annual Higher Education Research and Development (HERD) Survey. The survey is the national standard that compares research spending among the hundreds of universities nationwide.
“Since 2012, UF research expenditures have increased by nearly 80%, nearly doubling the rate of growth for university research spending nationally,” said David Norton, vice president for research at UF, in the press release. “This success is a testament to the remarkable talent and dedication of our research faculty, post-docs, staff and students, as well as our focus on addressing opportunities and challenges that are highly relevant locally, nationally and globally across all disciplines.”
UF joins around 35 public and private universities throughout the country with more than $1 billion in annual research spending that include Johns Hopkins, the University of Michigan, UCLA, Harvard, Stanford, Penn State and the University of California-Berkeley. Based on 2021 fiscal year data and the most recent HERD report, UF ranked 16th among public universities and 27th overall.
In 2023, UF also surpassed $1 billion in new external awards for the first time. That includes $792 million from the federal government, $98 million from private foundations, nearly $77 million from state and local governments, and $61 million from industry.
According to the release, “public and private agencies typically award multi-year funding to the university based on competitive proposals submitted by researchers. That funding translates into laboratory supplies and equipment, salaries for faculty, staff and students, and other expenses, all directed at conducting the proposed research over the term of the award.”
In June, the UF Health Cancer Center received the National Cancer Institute, or NCI, designation in recognition of UF’s cancer research and patient care. Since 2016, the center has doubled its research funding with $48.8 million in total cancer research grants along with 359 cancer research projects currently underway. Newsweek and Statista named UF Health Shands one of the top cancer hospitals in the country, placing third in Florida and 57th nationally.
UF accounts for nearly 40% of the State University System of Florida’s $2.3 billion in research spending annually. According to recent studies, the research conducted at Florida’s state universities has an estimated statewide economic impact of about $4 billion.