UVM Research Sets $266M

For the fifth consecutive year, the University of Vermont (UVM) has achieved a new record for research funding: attracting $266 million in extramural support for the 2023 fiscal year. More than doubling the university's annual research funding of five years ago, UVM faculty members garnered nearly 700 research awards to launch over 1,000 new projects confronting head-on some of society's most pressing issues, from climate change to public health, supported by government agencies, corporate partners, foundations and donors.

"The talent, motivation, and commitment of our faculty and staff are the key to this outstanding achievement," UVM President Suresh Garimella said. "Their groundbreaking work not only advances discovery and creates knowledge but also provides UVM students with expansive opportunities for hands-on, innovative research here in Vermont, throughout the region, and across the globe. All of this work reflects UVM's exceptional commitment to people and planet."

This historic level of funding underscores UVM's rapid ascent as a leader in research and innovation and the remarkable growth of the university's research enterprise, said Kirk Dombrowski, UVM Vice President for Research and Economic Development. As the state's only research university and only medical college, UVM aims to fulfill its mission as a land grant university, prioritizing nationally distinctive research that is broadly impactful and closely connected to the state's communities, businesses, organizations, and government.

Researchers at UVM's Larner College of Medicine - traditionally a top-performing pillar of UVM's research enterprise - were awarded over $100 million in support, a 7.6% increase over last fiscal year. UVM's College of Education of Social Services, meanwhile, showed an impressive 59.5% growth, fueled by several multi-million-dollar awards like the Building Effective Supports for Teaching (BEST) program, led by UVM's Cassandra Townshend.

In this fiscal year, UVM researchers successfully won over 50 grants of $1 million or more, another university record. Other highlights include:

• Teresa Leslie ofUVM Extensionreceived one the year's largest awards- over $10 million-for the Northeast Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program.
• Stacey Sigmon, a professor ofpsychology and psychiatry, received over $5 million to launch an opioid response program for rural communities.
• Heather Darby, Extension professor and agronomy specialist, was awarded $2.4 million for enhancing the viability of U.S. grass-fed dairy production.
• Bryn Loftness, acomplex systemsgraduate student, won the $15,000 Lake Champlain Chamber Award for BioBe, her childhood mental health startup company, at LaunchVT's Demo Night.

"The research funding totals are a great indication of our research growth," UVM Vice President for Research and Economic Development Kirk Dombrowski said. "But it is the myriad efforts across hundreds of new projects that impresses me every year. The university has developed tremendous energy and focus on critical areas of concern for our time-including water resources, environmental sustainability, vaccine development and infectious disease, community schools, cancer research, and so many other areas. And as importantly, nearly all of our work involves advancing knowledge across disciplines and pushing the boundaries of innovation and research development in transdisciplinary spaces."

Brynn Loftness, the complex systems graduate student who won the $15,000 Lake Champlain Chamber Award for BioBe, spoke about her company during a National Science Foundation (NSF) site visit in June.

Over the last several years, theOffice of Researchhas significantly expanded and invested in its administrative and support capabilities. The office now employs nearly 200 people who support all aspects of the research enterprise. For example, the Office of Research Development - which offers a suite of services to assist researchers and investigators in their pursuit of extramural funding - was once just a team of two people in 2020. Now, 11 people work full time on project proposals and connect scholars to partnerships and programs.

National science partnerships

As UVM's research enterprise grows, national and federal agencies are taking notice. In June, National Science Foundation (NSF) representatives visited UVM's campus and other Vermont businesses to learn about the broad, vibrant community of educators and innovators that exist in the region. Erwin Gianchandani, Assistant Director of the Directorate for Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships -which is focused on promoting U.S. competitiveness and impact by nurturing partnerships between educational institutions, corporations, and federal labs - visited UVM's Innovation Hall, Burlington's Hula, and South Burlington tech company OnLogic.

"We're eager to ensure that the NSF - and many more federal agencies - understand the resources and opportunities that exist in our region, including a long list of research, education, and non-profit and corporate organizations that UVM works closely with every day," Dombrowski said. "We are very grateful for the opportunity to show the NSF leadership the research facilities and the incredible momentum that UVM and its partners have created and how these impact the growth and impact of the high-tech companies that surround us."

The convergence of research excellence, technological development, economic and workforce development, and rural partnerships culminated in theVermont Gallium Nitride (GaN) Tech Hub, a consortium led by UVM, GlobalFoundries, and the State of Vermont, focused on developing and commercializing next-generation GaN-based semiconductor technology to drive opportunities in education, research, and commerce, and spur vital workforce expansion across Vermont and the region. The Tech Hub, which was selected out of more than 300 applications, was recently given a $500,000 Consortium Accelerator Award from the Biden-Harris Administration through the U.S. Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration.

"This accelerator award from the EDA will not only drive further momentum for the V-GaN Tech Hub but showcase UVM's capacity for innovation through partnerships," Garimella said. "As we continue to grow our ambition and our achievements-cementing our status as a premier, flagship research university-UVM's impact on our region will be immeasurable."

Research partnerships on the RISE

As part of this engagement and partnership work, UVM's newLeahy Institute for Rural Partnershipsannounced earlier this year a wave of grants to tackle challenges rural communities face statewide like wastewater infrastructure, migrant health, and water quality enhancement.

Over 900 individuals from across Vermont and beyond gathered at UVM's Davis Center in June for the Leahy Institute's second annualResearch, Innovation, Sustainability, and Entrepreneurship (RISE) summit. The theme, "Partners in Place," drew a diverse group of professionals eager to share their experiences working with local governments, schools, businesses, and other community partners to leverage creative problem-solving that draws on unique community needs, strengths and opportunities.

"Instead of imposing top-down solutions, we want to collaborate with entrepreneurs and problem-solvers on the ground who have the best shot at making an impact," said Patricia Coates, director of the Leahy Institute for Rural Partnerships. "We are piloting engagement in new ways, in new parts of the state and bringing together multiple partners-on campus and off-to solve important challenges."

 

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