The University of Alabama at Birmingham received more than $600 million in research funding this year, breaking its record on the school’s 50th anniversary year.
The university was officially awarded $602,024,372 in research grants and awards for the 12-month period ending Sept. 30, according to UAB’s Office of Sponsored Programs. The record-breaking amount comes one year after surpassing the $500 million mark and represents an increase of $75 million in funding over one year.
Last year’s $527,025,137 in research grants and awards was a 10 percent increase from 2017, showing that UAB has averaged 10 percent growth in research funding awards in each of the past three years and a 34% overall increase since 2014, a university press release stated.
UAB President Ray Watts said the amount is “the continuation of the most successful five-year epoch of research funding in UAB history.” He continued, “Last year, we had a record $527 million in awards, and we immediately set the bar even higher. Through strong collaboration and partnership — around campus, throughout our community and state, and with our Board — we continue setting and exceeding ambitious goals in research and all pillars of our mission. I could not be prouder of the work of our faculty, staff and students in advancing a research enterprise that is among the most competitive in the nation and around the globe.”
UAB’s year-over-year funding from the National Institutes of Health increased by $38 million from the last fiscal year, and funding from the Department of Defense increased by over $7 million.
The university’s industry funding for clinical trials increased by $22 million from fiscal year 2017-18, and UAB now ranks eighth across the nation’s public universities in all clinical trial expenditures and sixth among public universities for non-federal clinical trial expenditures. Additionally, UAB ranks in the top 20 in clinical trial funding across all U.S. public and private institutions, the school said.
More than 1,200 university faculty are engaged in sponsored research activity, UAB said. The funding comes from federal, state and local agencies, industry, and nonprofits and foundations. Federal grants include the costs of conducting specific research projects, including salaries, graduate student stipends, travel to scientific meetings, specific equipment and supplies. Although universities are reimbursed by the federal government for most of these costs, sometimes they are asked by agencies to share in paying for these direct research expenses.
“Research is an expensive proposition for everyone involved,” said Christopher Brown, vice president for research.
“Every dollar we receive to conduct research requires an additional 50 cents of support from the institution. The federal government long ago recognized the value of universities in the research space, and essentially, they support the research activities while we provide the infrastructure," he said.