UAH sustains top-tier research rankings for thirteenth year in a row

Michael Mercier | UAH

Five programs at The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) rank among the top 25 federally-funded programs in the United States, according to the National Science Foundation (NSF) Higher Education Research and Development (HERD) Survey. The rankings underscore the university’s sustained excellence in federally sponsored research and its continued strength across key national priority areas. UAH is a part of The University of Alabama System.

This achievement marks the 13th consecutive year that UAH has had five or more research programs in the top 25 nationally, including:

• Tenth in aerospace/aeronautical/astronautical engineering
• Tenth in atmospheric science and meteorology
• Thirteenth in astronomy and astrophysics
• Sixteenth in computer and information sciences
• Twenty-fifth in industrial and manufacturing engineering

UAH also ranks thirty-second nationally for Department of Defense-funded research, and thirteenth in the nation for NASA-funded research and development.

Michael Mercier | UAH

Within Alabama, UAH leads in six categories of federal research expenditures, including Department of Defense, NASA, aerospace/aeronautical/astronautical engineering, computer and information sciences, atmospheric science and meteorology, and astronomy expenditures.

“These results speak to the strength and resilience of our research enterprise,” says Dr. Robert Lindquist, UAH vice president for research and economic development. “For more than a decade, UAH has sustained a presence among the nation’s top programs — a reflection of both our consistency and our ability to evolve in priority areas.”

Research and development expenditures reached $163.1 million in FY2025 — an increase of more than $8 million over the previous year. The university's five-year research and development expenditures total $645 million.

Home to 16 research centers and institutes, UAH remains a top research university, continuing to expand its impact in areas of critical national importance such as hypersonics; logistics and supply chain management; cybersecurity; optical systems and engineering; artificial intelligence; rotorcraft and unmanned systems; severe weather; plasma fusion research; space propulsion; space physics and more.

“UAH’s research strength is rooted in the unique Huntsville ecosystem. Our proximity to Redstone Arsenal and Cummings Research Park creates a collaborative environment where our researchers work closely with federal agencies and industry partners to advance solutions in critical areas,” says Lindquist. “These partnerships are directly aligned with workforce needs, driving innovation, supporting economic growth, and delivering impact across Alabama and the Southeast.”

About the Higher Education Research and Development (HERD) Survey

HERD Survey collects information on Research and Development (R&D) expenditures by field of research and source of funds and also gathers information on types of research, expenses and headcounts of R&D personnel. The survey is the primary source of information on R&D expenditures at U.S. colleges and universities, an annual census of institutions that expended at least $150,000 in separately accounted for R&D in the fiscal year.