The University of Michigan reported a record $2.04 billion in research volume during fiscal year 2024, marking the first time the university’s annual research expenditures have exceeded the $2 billion mark.

The research spurred significant advancements in diverse areas ranging from environmental sustainability in Lake Erie to the development of an open-source bionic leg and AI-assisted cell reprogramming.

“This record-breaking year is a testament to the collaborative spirit and innovative mindset of our entire research community,” said Arthur Lupia, interim vice president for research and innovation.

“Our capacity to turn challenges into opportunities for discovery exemplifies the transformative power of research at the University of Michigan. Our university’s research mission is driven by a commitment to addressing the world’s toughest challenges through groundbreaking discoveries and innovative solutions. We are grateful to the research community for all that they do to advance our university’s vital public mission.”

Backed by innovative initiatives like the Presidential Amplify strategy and the Bold Challenges program, total research volume grew by 9.9% during FY ’24. Research submissions also increased by 6.1%, with the value of those submissions rising by 9.6%. These metrics provide an important benchmark for peer institutions to compare and evaluate research and creative work, and the growth underscores U-M’s standing as a top public university in research volume for more than a decade.

Details of the record expenditures are included in the office’s annual report, released this week.

In FY ’24, the university reported a record $663 million in internally sponsored research expenditures, representing a 9.8% increase. This funding supported a number of efforts, including developing new treatments for a certain type of lung cancer, advancing the modeling and simulation of military and civilian vehicles, evaluating the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines in Michigan residents, and improving the lives of patients with food allergies.

The university reported support from more than 2,700 external sponsors for FY ’24. While the number of new research awards from external sponsors decreased by 2%, their total value increased by 16.1%, reflecting a strong commitment to funding high-impact research initiatives.

The federal government consistently remains the largest sponsor of U-M research activity. In FY ’24, the university reported $1.17 billion in federally sponsored research expenditures, marking a 12.1% increase from the previous year. Federal funding now accounts for 57% of the university’s total research volume.

Research expenditures sponsored by the National Institutes of Health totaled $762 million last year, supporting projects including the Interventions Testing Program at U-M, the Michigan Infectious Disease Genomics Center and the Brain Attack Surveillance in Corpus Christi Project. These projects develop critical health interventions, utilize advanced genomic technologies to combat infectious diseases, and study the epidemiology and disparities of stroke.

Advances in research commercialization

U-M faculty members and researchers generated a record-breaking 615 new invention reports during FY ’24, a rare accomplishment for any research commercialization office in the country.

In addition, Innovation Partnerships, a unit based in the Office of the Vice President for Research that serves as the university’s central hub for research commercialization activity, helped launch 28 startup companies in FY ’24. The new startups are driving innovation in various sectors, including AI-driven models to address climate change, breath-diagnostic treatments and enhancing election security technologies.

FY ’24 also marked a strong year of industry collaboration for U-M faculty members. Innovation Partnerships secured 273 licensing and option agreements and the Corporate Research Alliances team within Innovation Partnerships directly supported 104 new on-campus, corporate-sponsored research awards totaling $29.2 million.

This contribution to the $178.6 million in new corporate research awards reported across the research enterprise represents the university’s continued commitment to advancing research that addresses critical issues and contributes to scientific progress.

“The University of Michigan continues to set the standard for what a research university can and should be,” said President Santa J. Ono. “Our unprecedented accomplishments in research and innovation reflect the collective efforts of our talented students and faculty. By translating groundbreaking discoveries into practical solutions, we are driving progress and improving lives on a global scale.”