UGA research expenditures hit all-time high

Remarkable growth in extramural funding to the university has led to an all-time high of $458 million in research expenditures for fiscal year 2017:

Externally funded research activity has climbed 37 percent over the past three years to $198 million in fiscal year 2017.

"This tremendous growth in productivity reflects the unyielding commitment of UGA faculty to solve the important challenges of our time," said President Jere W. Morehead. "Their dedication, bolstered by major faculty hiring initiatives and strategic investments in research since coming out of the Great Recession seven years ago, is elevating our research enterprise to new heights and expanding the university's positive impact on lives and communities across this state and beyond."

UGA's increase in research spending comes at a time when federal funding of higher education research and development is declining in both current and inflation-adjusted dollars.

Working on individual research stories on a near-constant basis as we do, it can be easy to lose a sense of the broader picture encapsualted by this surge. Extraordinary faculty, vying for funding from a shrinking federal pie are having sustained success. This fourth year in a row of increased funding demonstrates an institutional strength built along several interactive lines - in facilties, faculty, ability to attract top graduate students and industry partnerships - that the university and state of Georgia can be proud of but more importantly, build upon. High-impact work from creative people make fully-engaged learning environment.