Research Funding Milestone

The U has seen growth in research funding for nearly a decade. And last fiscal year, the total reached $686 million—a new record high for the university. The U achieved milestones of over $600 million in funding the last two years and $500 million four years ago. 

From medicine to fine arts, research at the U spans many studies. The School of Medicine grew the most in funding dollars with $331 million, a 15 percent growth from the previous fiscal year. Other highlights include the College of Education (up 43 percent), the Scientific Computing and Imaging Institute (up 88 percent), and the College of Fine Arts (up 23 percent). 

And all that funding is a major contributor to the state’s economy. The U employs nearly 8,000 people who are compensated by research dollars. “Research funding is not only helping make progress in the research itself, but also helping many Utahns personally and economically,” says Erin Rothwell PhD’04, interim vice president for research. “Over the last three years, research has supported $598 million in wages, contributing to the economic engine across the state of Utah.”

President Taylor Randall HBA’90 says the U’s goal of reaching $1 billion in research funding annually will help the institution strive toward an objective of becoming a top-10 public university. “Through the hard work and dedication of our research community, the U is positioning itself to be a major player in developing solutions to the world’s grand challenges like climate change, mental health, cancer, and more,” he notes.