The University of Alabama research enterprise marked 10 years of continuous growth in fiscal year 2024, with gains in overall funding, new awards, and the number of proposals submitted.
New awards classified as research grew by nearly 21% compared to the previous fiscal year. In total, the University received $269.9 million in sponsored awards, marking an all-time high in external funding.
“The tremendous progress made by the Office for Research and Economic Development reflects our dedication to advancing knowledge and fostering economic growth,” said UA President Stuart R. Bell. “These achievements not only highlight the exceptional talent at UA but also reinforce our position as a national leader in innovative research and development.”
In 2021, The University’s economic impact topped $2.9 billion statewide. Funded research advances the world’s knowledge and helps translate scholarship to economic development that directly benefits the state of Alabama.
“The remarkable growth in research funding underscores the exceptional work of our world-class faculty, students and research staff,” said Dr. Bryan Boudouris, vice president for research and economic development. “This growth empowers us to make groundbreaking discoveries that drive meaningful progress and positively impact our communities, our state and the world.”
Successes in Research and Economic Development
Some notable successes for UA colleges and institutes in the past year include:
- The board of trustees approved a $96 million High Performance Computing and Data Center, which will house a supercomputer that supports world-class computationally focused research.
- The College of Engineering surpassed $100 million in external awards for the first time, its fifth consecutive year of significant growth in research funding.
- The Tuscaloosa County Economic Development Authority and The University of Alabama are partnering with Techstars, the most active pre-seed investor in the world, to bring first-of-its-kind, hydrologic innovation-focused accelerator and pre-accelerator programs to Tuscaloosa.
- In 2023, The University of Alabama ranked 75th in the nation—the highest in the state—for the number of patents granted that year, according to the National Academy of Inventors.
