The University of California, Irvine (UCI) has announced a record $592 million in research funding for fiscal 2020-21, which ended June 30. According to UCI News, awards from federal and state agencies, foundations, and companies increased by 12 percent over the 2019-20 total of $529 million.
“This research funding milestone confirms UCI’s ascent among its Association of American Universities peers as a world-class research university. Despite the hurdles we have faced during the COVID-19 pandemic, the UCI community continues to make a meaningful impact on regional economic development and to improve society through globally prominent research,” said UCI Chancellor Howard Gillman in a statement.
Currently, sixty-six research institutions make up the Association of American Universities (AAU). More than $25 billion in federally funded research, or 61% of the total amount funded, is performed by faculty at AAU institutions. In 2017, AAU awarded 50% of all research doctoral degrees and 18% of all undergraduate degrees in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), according to AAU By the Numbers.
Agencies such as Health and Human Services (including the National Institutes of Health), the National Science Foundation (NSF), and the Department of Defense (DoD) funded $21.3 billion in university research.
At UCI, Health & Human Services was the largest single source of research funding, accounting for $180 million. The NSF provided $50 million. More than $340 million of all UCI research funding in fiscal 2020-21 was for biomedical and health sciences clinical work across campus.
Overall, 39 percent of research support came from non-federal entities. Gifts and grants from philanthropic foundations and charitable trusts reached $86 million.
“Our faculty, students, and staff are truly excelling in an environment of tremendous competition for financial support of research and innovation,” said Pramod Khargonekar, UCI vice chancellor for research, in the same statement. “These results indicate that UCI’s preeminent research enterprise will make even greater and more productive contributions to the state, the nation, and the world.”
Led by Chancellor Howard Gillman, UCI has more than 36,000 students and offers 224-degree programs. It is Orange County’s second-largest employer, contributing $7 billion annually to the local economy and $8 billion statewide. For more on UCI, visit UCI receives a record $592 million in research funding for fiscal 2020-21.
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