UToledo Researchers Awarded More Than $72.2M in Fiscal Year 2024

UToledo Researchers Awarded More Than $72.2M in Fiscal Year 2024

The University of Toledo researchers received more than $72.2 million in external awards in fiscal year 2024, an impressive total that's the second highest in the institution's history.

New awards accounted for more than half at nearly $42 million, with new federal awards, specifically, hitting an all-time high at more than $32 million.

Continuing and renewal awards made up the rest.

"Research awards support our mission to educate students to become future-ready graduates and leaders who create and advance knowledge. This funding is so important to support undergraduate and graduate students and the purchase of sophisticated scientific equipment and laboratories that provide students with an educational experience only available at a leading research university," said Dr. Constance Schall, interim vice president for research. "I commend the hard work and expertise of our faculty who support and elevate our reputation through their submissions to nationally competitive grants."

UToledo's 2024 research awards reflect the breadth of research expertise across the University, including areas of research excellence in astronomy and astrophysics; solar energy, water quality and sustainable technologies; and cell architecture and dynamics.

More than 82 percent of research awards were federally funded in fiscal year 2024, with the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Defense and U.S. Department of Energy leading among federal agencies that awarded research dollars to UToledo.

New awards support workforce development, teacher training and advanced photovoltaic research and development, among other topics.

In the largest single award supporting a new project in fiscal year 2024, the National Institute of Standards & Technology awarded UToledo nearly $7 million in support of major improvements to the biosafety facility and vivarium on Health Science Campus.

These updates and expansion enhance researchers' ability to study dangerous pathogens and prepare against future pandemics. The Ohio Department of Higher Education is supporting equipment purchases for the facility that will further enhance this research and training infrastructure, bringing the total investment to nearly $8 million.

Continuing and renewal awards support a spectrum of projects in medicine, water quality, solar energy and sustainability and community projects focused on improvement of health outcomes and protection of vulnerable populations.

Key to UToledo's success in securing research awards are its valuable connections with industrial partners and prestigious federal laboratories such as such the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service and the U.S. Department of Energy National Laboratories. UToledo enjoys strong relationships with the Argonne National Laboratory, Idaho National Laboratory, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, thanks in part to the efforts of Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur.

"UToledo is proud to be a public research university where our faculty experts are leaders in their academic disciplines making an impact in our northwest Ohio community and around the world," said UToledo Interim President Matt Schroeder. "Our strong research program is integral to the high-quality educational environment we offer at UToledo, welcoming undergraduate and graduate collaborators into faculty-led projects and laboratories as early as a student's freshman year."