UF Sponsored Research Hits New Record As Industry Support Shoots Up

July 27, 1999

GAINESVILLE — The University of Florida’s research enterprise received a record $296 million in awards during fiscal year 1998-99, up 5.7 percent from the previous year, according to figures released Monday.

The increase from last year’s $280 million reflects the hard work and dedication of UF’s faculty and graduate students, said Win Phillips, UF vice president of research and dean of The Graduate School.

“The growth in our sponsored research indicates continued outstanding performance of our faculty and graduate students,” Phillips said. “It’s clear the university is meeting the state’s expectations as a major research institution.”

During the fiscal year that ended June 30, industry was responsible for the bulk of the roughly $16 million increase in research funding, with corporate support for research increasing about 40 percent from $37 million to $52 million.

“Industry is depending more and more on the University of Florida as a top-quality research laboratory,” Phillips said.

Federal support for research continued to make up more than half of UF’s total, contributing about $160 million, up slightly from the previous year. State and local support also remained nearly level with a combined total of $42.5 million. As was the case last year, the biggest funding agency was the National Institutes of Health, the source of more than $63 million. Foundations contributed more than $34 million, while UF received more than $6 million from miscellaneous sources.

UF President John Lombardi welcomed the results.

“The competitive context for research is very intense, and the success of our faculty, staff and students in capturing this support speaks eloquently to the commitment of our colleges, departments, and programs to bringing the best research support possible to the University of Florida and its community,” Lombardi said.

Phillips said the steady rise in UF’s research funding has a significant ripple effect in Gainesville and statewide. “Enhanced funding for research translates into support for people who live and work here,” he said. “The economic impact is significant.”

While no reliable figures are available comparing research funding among universities, the most recent rankings from the National Science Foundation show UF ranked 12th in total research-and-development spending among public universities in the prestigious Association of American Universities.