Record funding fuels Northwestern’s research impact

Northwestern University's research impact continues to grow thanks to another record-breaking annual sponsored funding total.

The University once again exceeded the $1 billion mark to end the fiscal year (August 31) with $1.05 billion in research funding, an increase of 5% from 2023 and a jump of over 75% from a decade ago. Faculty members from across the institution attracted unprecedented support for bold, often interdisciplinary research projects that address important societal challenges.

A new milestone

Northwestern's research funding demonstrated strong growth across the entire portfolio, reaching new heights as the University continued strengthening its position as a leader in cross-field research and pursued several strategic priorities. In the last fiscal year, Northwestern received a total of 3,413 awards (a 4% decrease from the previous year) while submitting 3,845 proposals (+8%) totaling $4.4 billion (+17%), reflecting the robust efforts of its research community to push the boundaries of discovery.

The trends, including the increase in proposal dollars, reflect the University's growing research capacity and ambition as faculty actively engage in cutting-edge research across various disciplines. This healthy proposal pipeline helps ensure the research enterprise's sustainability, keeping Northwestern resilient and adaptable within the dynamic funding landscape.

Growth across schools

This year's growth included strong performances across Northwestern schools, including the Feinberg School of Medicine, whose faculty attracted $741.9 million (+5% over last year); the McCormick School of Engineering ($98.3 million, +5%); and the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences ($124 million, +24%). The 25 University-wide research institutes and centers, essential catalysts for interdisciplinary research and translation that bring together talent from across Northwestern, attracted $70 million in funding. The number of proposals generated was also up across all schools, with the School of Communication showing a 75% year-over-year increase.

Vice President for Research Eric Perreault emphasized the significance of this achievement, saying, "Sustaining more than $1 billion in sponsored research funding once again is a testament to the extraordinary talent and dedication of our faculty, staff and students. It also highlights how robust our schools are."

Northwestern's strategic focus on interdisciplinary collaboration drives innovation with real societal benefit."

"The dollar amount is impressive, but the most important thing is the impact of the research it fuels," he said. "Northwestern's strategic focus on interdisciplinary collaboration drives innovation with real societal benefit, from pioneering discoveries in the biosciences to leading the way in sustainability, artificial intelligence (AI) and beyond."

Much of the growth in research funding aligns with Northwestern's strategic priorities, which focus on advancing the biosciences, leading in decarbonization and sustainability, harnessing the power of data science and AI, fostering interdisciplinary innovation in the social sciences and global studies, and enhancing the creative and performing arts.

"From the laboratory to the stage, Northwestern brings extraordinary leadership to a wide range of disciplines," President Michael Schill said. "That diversity of expertise enhances our ability to advance our institutional priorities and create breakthroughs that translate into meaningful societal impact. Our brilliant faculty are among the best in the world, and this year's continued growth again demonstrates our research eminence and the value of this work."

A few examples of Northwestern research supported by this year's sponsored funding include:

• Bringing Breakthroughs into Clinical Practice: Northwestern University's Clinical and Translational Sciences (NUCATS) Institute secured a $55 million award from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This funding will further accelerate developing, evaluating and implementing improved healthcare interventions. This seven-year grant, the largest active research award at Northwestern, continues the institute's legacy of NIH funding since its inception in 2008. Led by Dr. Richard D'Aquila, alongside co-principal investigators Sara Becker and Dr. Clyde Yancy, NUCATS will continue its vital role in Northwestern's research efforts, working closely with community and health system partners to promote inclusive and effective scientific discoveries.
  
  
• Innovating Through Data-Driven Research: The National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded a $20 million grant to a multidisciplinary team led by Dashun Wang. This project uses machine-learning models to predict technology progression and market outcomes. By systematically identifying overlooked ideas, people and research bottlenecks, this initiative empowers decision-makers to enhance the impact of breakthrough ideas. The collaboration involves faculty from the Kellogg School of Management and the McCormick School of Engineering, including Benjamin Jones, Brian Uzzi, Alicia Loffler, Jian Cao and Mark Hersam.
  
  
• Engineering Human-Augmentation Technologies: Northwestern also received $26 million from the NSF to establish a new Engineering Research Center (ERC) dedicated to advancing the capabilities of robots to amplify human labor. The Human AugmentatioN via Dexterity (HAND) ERC, led by J. Edward Colgate at the McCormick School, will develop technologies that enable robots to perform dexterous tasks with human-like precision. This center represents a major step forward in robotics, with implications for manufacturing, caregiving and other critical industries. This is the first ERC led by Northwestern and includes core partners Carnegie Mellon University, Florida A&M and Texas A&M, with additional faculty support from Syracuse University, the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Kevin Lynch serves as the center's research director. Other collaborators include McCormick's Brenna Argall, Jian Cao, Matthew Elwin, Elizabeth Gerber, Todd Murphey and Ryan Truby and the School of Education and Social Policy's Lois Trautvetter.
  
  
• Advancing the Biosciences for Healthy Aging: In the biosciences, Northwestern secured $32.4 million from the Hevolution Foundation to study proteostasis. This research focuses on maintaining protein health to prevent diseases and improve people's quality of life as they age. Led by Richard Morimoto, this research aims to extend healthy lifespans by addressing the molecular biology of aging. This substantial investment highlights Northwestern's leadership in the biosciences and its commitment to improving human health.

Looking ahead: A commitment to innovation and impact

As Northwestern builds on its strategic priorities, the University remains dedicated to creating an environment where interdisciplinary research thrives and drives transformative discoveries.

For example, the University has strategically invested in its research administration recently to drive operational and strategic excellence. These efforts aim to improve support for faculty and staff while sustaining the billion-dollar scale of Northwestern's increasingly complex portfolio. Enhancements include organizational realignment, increased campus-wide partnerships, workforce management and hiring, and process innovations - particularly within the Office for Sponsored Research and the Accounting Services for Research and Sponsored Programs.

"Northwestern's research strategy is rooted in the belief that many groundbreaking discoveries emerge at the intersections of disciplines," Perreault said. "Our faculty's ability to collaborate across fields and engage with industry partners and colleagues at other peer institutions distinguishes Northwestern. Most importantly, our success accelerates the pace of discovery and innovation."

Looking forward, Provost Kathleen Hagerty said Northwestern is poised to lead in addressing the world's most pressing challenges.

"By breaking down traditional silos, the University is well positioned to unlock new frontiers in science, technology and human understanding," she said. "The potential of Northwestern's interdisciplinary research promises not just incremental progress but revolutionary breakthroughs that will shape global discovery for years to come."

Matt Golosinski is director of communications on the Office for Research.

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