University of Florida Hits $1 Billion in Annual Research Spending for First Time

University of Florida (UF) has announced it has exceeded $1 billion in research spending for the first time in 2022, developing engineering solutions, treatments for diseases, agricultural products and more.

With this $1.076 billion, the university joins about 15 public universities in the country which have surpassed the one billion amount, including the University of California, the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill and the University of Michigan, Erudera.com reports.

In a press release, UF notes that data is based on the university’s response to the National Science Foundation’s annual Higher Education Research and Development Survey (HERD), which collects data from hundreds of universities in the country.

Figures reveal spending for the fiscal year ending June 30, and in 2020, the University of Florida was placed among 16 public universities across the country.

Commenting on the milestone, UF Vice President for Research David Norton said that it reflects the university’s growth as one of the leading research universities in the US.

 “But this number represents far more than dollars – it represents the value of these researchers’ remarkable intellect and talent and its impact on our state, our nation and the world,” Norton said.

He also praised the efforts of the staff and faculty to gain new knowledge and discovery through research and scholarship.

Most of the research was conducted in six colleges of UF Health, including:

• The College of Medicine in Gainesville and Jacksonville – $347 million
• The College of Public Health & Health Professions – $34.5 million
• The College of Veterinary Medicine – $32.1 million
• The College of Pharmacy – $31.4 million
• The College of Dentistry – $17.2 million
• The College of Nursing – $5 million

Federal agencies, such as the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, the US Department of Agriculture, the Department of Energy as well as NASA, invested an amount of $469 million in research.

The State of Florida invested $171.7 million and another amount from industry and private institutions.

Chair of the UF Board of Trustees, Mori Hosseini, said that economic Florida’s State University System research spending is “phenomenal”, and UF’s share of 40 percent in this regard is something to be proud of.

 “I am absolutely thrilled by the news of this spectacular $1 billion milestone in research spending at the University of Florida,” Hosseini said.

Generally, all universities across Florida spent $2.3 billion for research, according to the university.