The University of Wisconsin spent just over $1.7 billion on research in 2023, and is now ranked sixth out of 920 public and private universities in the U.S. in research expenditures according to the National Science Foundation’s annual rankings released Nov. 25.
UW was ranked eighth since 2018 and had a 13.7% increase in research expenditures over the 2023 fiscal year, according to the NSF. Chancellor Mnookin and the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research have prioritized improvements to the university’s research expenditures, according to UW News.
Nearly half of UW’s $1.7 billion in total research expenditures comes from federal awards, according to UW News. Significant expenditures include a $29 million award from the National Institutes of Health for a research group in the Wisconsin Institute for Discovery, a $15 million award from the U.S. Office of Naval Research to a research group in the College of Engineering, a $22.3 million award from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation for the UW Population Health Institute and a $19 million award from the USDA for UW’s Center for Dairy Research.
Research Program Manager at the Center for Dairy Research Tom Guerin said the CDR applied for the award as a non-competitive bid and outlined their goals to expand their region, enhance sustainability, commercialization and industry troubleshooting, benefiting dairy farmers and the broader community.
“It’s about trying to drive resiliency in the dairy industry for dairy farmers and small to medium-sized processors, and that is done through new product development, marketing, accessing new markets and a whole range of different things,” Guerin said.
The Wisconsin Idea Database project shows UW’s research initiatives making a significant impact on Wisconsin communities, through community partnerships and projects, financial relationships and more, according to UW News.
The CDR’s work and investments help dairy farmers become more resilient and the industry become more sustainable, Guerin said. As farmers get more money for their products, the community feels the positive effects of increased employment and higher sales, Guerin said.
The CDR aims to support the dairy industry in Wisconsin and nationally, Guerin said. He highlighted the grants and investments as especially significant to the CDR’s ability to influence the dairy industry and said he hopes the expenditures for all UW research programs continue to grow, as they help build the Wisconsin idea.
“The one thing that was top of mind for me when I came here to Wisconsin, was the whole Wisconsin idea – I think it’s a phenomenal concept,” Guerin said.
The Wisconsin idea signifies education should influence people’s lives beyond the boundaries of the classroom, as stated on UW’s webpage.
