UAB sets new record with $774.5M in research funding for 2023

The University of Alabama at Birmingham has secured a record-breaking $774.5 million in new funding and awards for fiscal year 2023, marking an unprecedented milestone in its research and development capabilities, as well as its economic impact to the state.

According to the college’s Office of Sponsored Programs, the cumulative amount of the new funding given to the school this year was $774.5 million. That amount beats the previous annual record by $59.5 million and represents an 8.2% increase from 2022.

“The dramatic growth of our research funding over a decade is a testament to the dedication, talent and ingenuity of our faculty, staff and students all over campus,” UAB President Ray L. Watts said. “This continued increase in awards further positions us to achieve our ambitious goals for research — and all pillars of our mission — over the next five years.”

UAB Vice President for Research Chris Brown emphasized the ‘tremendous growth’ the research programs at the school are experiencing.

“Research and scholarship are a fundamental aspect to UAB’s mission,” said Brown. “The significant growth we have had over recent years further cements our position as a leader in the nation.”

“I feel privileged to be a part of it.”

Some of the more notable awards and grants this year given to UAB have gone to the following:

Harbert Institute for Innovation & Entrepreneurship:

Achieved its ninth straight year with a positive bottom line, putting HIIE among top 20 percent nationally
Generated more than $6 million in revenues with 123 intellectual property disclosures, 40 licenses and 18 U.S. patents
Launched three startups, with 12 others approved and poised for launch

Southern Research:

Has since garnered nearly $150 million to invest in life sciences
Pursuing a “3D” strategy: drug discovery and development; diagnostics and data; drivers of commercialization
Maintains 180 active patents, generates a $300 million economic impact, has driven 41 new drug candidates and tested 50 percent of all active chemotherapies in the U.S.

UAB Medicine, Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine:

Home to the eighth-largest hospital in the country, facilitating nearly 2 million patient visits annually
Continued life-changing medical breakthroughs in xenotransplantation as study in JAMA provides additional data as UAB seeks approval for Phase I clinical trials
First uterus transplant in new program that is first in the Southeast and among only four in the nation

This year’s new record amount also represents a $247.5 million increase in funding over the past five years and a 73% growth over the past nine years.

UAB ranks among the top 5% of universities in the United States based on all federal research and development spending in FY 2022. It’s also in the top 1% of all NIH-funded institutions, including private, public and international organizations.

Austen Shipley is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News.