University of Arkansas Sets Research Funding Record With $101.7 Million in Fiscal 2016

Photo by Russell Cothren

The University of Arkansas topped $100 million in annual research funding in fiscal year 2016.

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – University of Arkansas research funding topped $100 million in fiscal year 2016, the highest level of research funding in the university’s history.

The total of $101.7 million, which included research funding for the University of Arkansas System’s Division of Agriculture, represented a 27 percent increase over 2015. Fiscal 2016 ended June 30. The university also set a record with $145 million in research expenditures in fiscal 2016.

“This is a significant milestone for the university as a comprehensive research institution and remarkable growth in a difficult funding environment,” said Jim Rankin, vice provost for research and economic development. “Our faculty and staff are collaborating across departments and colleges more than ever, resulting in research that impacts Arkansas, the nation and the world.”

The funding breakdown was: $64.7 million in federal support, $14.3 million in state support, $7.7 million from industry partners, $7 million from foundations, and $7.9 million from other sources.

Top-funded research for fiscal year 2016:

• $11.3 million from the National Science Foundation for a wide range of scientific disciplines, including surface engineering, power electronics, data privacy, renewable energy, next-generation electronic devices and evolutionary biology.
• $11.1 million from the U.S. Department of Energy for research that includes cybersecurity and the nation’s power grid.
• $10 million from the U.S. Department of Education for Arkansas PROMISE, designed to improve the education and employment outcomes of teens with disabilities who receive Supplemental Security Insurance. PROMISE, funded by a five-year, $35.7 million grant, is believed to be the largest research grant in the university’s history.
• $5.9 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for several research projects, including the potential of invasive Asian carp as a source of protein for organic poultry feed.        
• $2.5 million from the National Institutes of Health for research that improves human health, including biomedical engineering, cancer treatments and childhood obesity.
• $1.7 million from NASA for the study of subjects such as planetary environments, powering spacecraft for future missions and the formation of galaxies.
• $1.5 million from the Arkansas Biosciences Institute, which focuses on supporting biomedical research and agricultural research with medical implications.
• $960,881 from the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department for research to improve roads and bridges and ease highway congestion, among other things.
• $902,400 from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation for the Indigenous Food and Agriculture Initiative at the University of Arkansas School of Law.