UAH research programs achieve record high $169.5M in R&D funding for FY22

The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) notched a record $169.5 million in research and development expenditures for fiscal year (FY) 2022, a 13% increase over FY21. This announcement accompanies the National Science Foundation Higher Education Research and Development (HERD) Survey findings which cover FY21 and mark the 10th year in a row UAH has had five or more research programs ranked in the top 25 nationally for federal research funding.

“Our research enterprises are among the best in the United States and point to the efforts of our outstanding faculty, staff, students and research centers,” says Dr. Robert Lindquist, UAH vice president for research and economic development.

UAH is an R1 research university, a ranking indicating “Very high research activity” status among doctoral-granting institutions rated by the Carnegie Classification of Institutes of Higher Education. The university’s five-year research and development expenditures total $754 million since FY18. In addition, the university currently ranks 11th in NASA research expenditures and 17th in FY21 Department of Defense research expenditures as well.

A part of The University of Alabama System, UAH has five top-20 research programs highlighted in the FY21 survey, including:

• #6 in aerospace/aeronautical/astronautical engineering
• #9 in computer and information sciences
• #10 in atmospheric science and meteorology
• #12 in astronomy and astrophysics
• #18 in industrial and manufacturing engineering

“With the vital support and collaboration from our partners in government and industry, UAH is making a global impact for the betterment of Alabama and the nation.” Dr. Lindquist notes.

Investigators from UAH explore the fields of engineering, the sciences, business, nursing, education, economics, the arts, humanities and social sciences. The university also boasts 17 research centers and institutes and maintains significant capabilities in areas as vital as hypersonics; logistics and supply chain management; cybersecurity; optical systems and engineering; reliability and failure analysis; rotorcraft and unmanned systems; severe weather; plasma fusion research; space propulsion and more.

The 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 research and development 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.