In the 2024 fiscal year, the University of Michigan’s annual research expenditures exceeded $2 billion for the first time, according to the FY24 report released in October. The expenditures total $2.04 billion, a 9.9% increase compared to last year. The fiscal year also saw 615 inventions and the establishment of 28 new startups from U-M researchers, according to the report.
The $2.04 billion total reflects both funding from the University itself and external sources including federal agencies, charities and corporations. Internal funding reached a record of approximately $663 million, and federal funding accounted for $1.17 billion.
In an email to The Michigan Daily, Arthur Lupia, the U-M interim vice president for research and innovation, said these numbers reflect the accomplishments of researchers across a variety of disciplines.
“Surpassing $2 billion in research expenditures represents the continued growth and dedicated efforts of the many faculty, staff and students across our university’s three campuses,” Lupia wrote. “It is a milestone that signifies U-M’s commitment to being a leader in innovation and to our mission of serving our state, nation, and world through research.”
Programs such as the Strategy to Amplify Research and Scholarship, which aims to increase both funding for research and faculty awards, and the Bold Challenges initiative, which is designed to promote research that addresses societal challenges, contributed to the rise in funding, according to Lupia.
“The most valuable asset the University has is its people,” Lupia wrote. “The brilliant and dedicated research community is the key to our university’s success. Initiatives, like Vision 2034, Bold Challenges and the Presidential Strategy to Amplify Research and Scholarship are also key drivers of our success and will be even more effective at creating opportunities for our researchers in the future.”
The Medical School remained the unit with the highest research expenditures, totaling about $889 million, a 10.17% increase compared to last year. Most of the units saw an increase in expenditures from fiscal year 2023, but the School of Education saw an 8.21% decrease in funding and the School of Business saw a 2.79% decrease.
In an email to The Daily, Michael Bastedo, associate dean for research at the Marsal Family School of Education, wrote the School of Education is consistently ranked highly for its education program and educational research, and the decrease in expenditures is not a source of concern.
“The FY 2024 research expenditures data reflect a normal fluctuation in grant productivity and do not demonstrate a trend for the Marsal Family School of Education,” Bastedo wrote. “The year-to-year productivity is affected by the total number and composition of the faculty, the total number of grant submissions and awards, average size of grant submissions and awards, and various funding cycles. Our most recent quarterly report shows a near-record number of grant submissions in the next cycle, so we expect great things to come.”
One unit that saw one of the largest increases in funding was the Office of the Vice President for Research, which had a 60.53% increase in expenditures. These funds were used to support programs such as the Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention, according to Lupia.
“One activity (OVPR does) is spending external grant funds raised by the Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention,” Lupia wrote. “Another is AI. OVPR has increased its effort to support both U-M research on AI and AI-related research at U-M. The third activity is the Presidential Strategy to Amplify Research and Scholarship. ‘Amplify,’ as we call it, is positioning a wide range of U-M researchers to generate future waves of discovery and impact. The increase covered necessary expenditures in key institutional priorities that help advance both our research enterprise and our university.”
The University has seen an increase in annual research expenditures every year since 2021. Lupia said the rise in funding helps the University to fulfill a key component of its mission.
“As we pursue new discoveries, the University of Michigan not only contributes to solving complex global challenges, it also significantly impacts economic and social development,” Lupia wrote. “Our initiatives lead to new technologies, startup businesses and research-backed policy decisions that benefit society. Moreover, collaborative efforts with community partners, industry, national labs and others help improve healthcare, sustainability, public policy and more, embodying our mission to serve the people of Michigan and the world as effectively as we can.”
Public Health junior Aneesa Redissi has been involved in research at the University since her freshman year and is currently an undergraduate research assistant at the Rickard Lab. In an interview with The Daily, Redissi said she believes research funding plays an important role in helping students to advance their knowledge and skills, especially at an institution acknowledged to be a leading public research university.
“Research is a really important practical experience to have,” Redissi said. “My research experience has definitely positively impacted my work in my classes and my professional life. … Research is really important, and especially in the climate right now, where you basically need research experience or to get into a top graduate school or a top post graduate program.”
In an Oct. 17 press release, University President Santa Ono expressed satisfaction with research funding and advancements in the past year.
“The University of Michigan continues to set the standard for what a research university can and should be,” Ono wrote. “Our unprecedented accomplishments in research and innovation reflect the collective efforts of our talented students and faculty. By translating groundbreaking discoveries into practical solutions, we are driving progress and improving lives on a global scale.”
Daily News Editor Nadia Taekcens can be reached at taeckens@umich.edu.
The post UMich surpasses $2 billion in annual research expenditures for first time appeared first on The Michigan Daily.
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