WVU shatters research expenditures record for second consecutive year

One of the major research areas of strength for WVU that has attracted significant research funding in the last fiscal year has been robotics (WVU Photo/J. Paige Nesbit). 

For fiscal year 2024, West Virginia University crushed its record in externally supported research expenditures with $275 million — an 82% increase from five years ago.

Story by WVU Today
Photos by J. Paige Nesbit, Director of Communications

Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources

That year — 2019 — WVU reported $152 million in research expenditures, which are funds spent to conduct research. Last year, the number reached $231 million, what was a record amount that has been topped again.

“These numbers underscore the University’s commitment to high-quality research that affects communities locally and globally in enhancing lives and well-being,” WVU Vice President for Research Fred King said. “It really is a testament to the hard work of our faculty, staff, and undergraduate and graduate students who engage in the research, that these figures continue to soar year-by-year.”

The University receives research funding from a variety of sources including federal, state, industry and private donors. Funds are usually obtained through a competitive process, in which projects are evaluated for quality and impact before monies are allocated.

King noted that because expenditures have grown steadily over the past five years, outside entities trust in investing in WVU and its research capabilities to solve problems and advance knowledge.

“As West Virginia’s only R1, land-grant university, WVU has garnered confidence from government agencies, businesses and private citizens in fulfilling its mission,” King said. “That mission is to engage in research to solve real world problems, educate our students, and contribute to the economic vitality of our state and nation.”

The major WVU research strength areas, such as astrophysics, energy, neuroscience, cancer, forensics and robotics, continue to attract more financial support.

The WVU Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources, for instance, has seen an uptick in funding for its top research initiatives in recent years. 

“At the Statler College, research expenditures have grown significantly since 2020, focusing on advancements in smart grid technologies, energy solutions, decarbonization, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, robotics, water infrastructure and more,” said Pedro J. Mago, Glen H. Hiner Dean of the Statler College.

“These efforts not only drive global innovation to enhance quality of life and stimulate economic growth, but also enrich our students’ practical experience and professional development — training the next generation of experts to address the world’s most pressing challenges for a better future. The research dollars received are a testament to the ingenuity and dedication of our faculty, staff and students who support the University’s research mission.”

Maura McLaughlin, chair of physics and astronomy and a renowned astrophysicist who was elected to the National Academy of Sciences this year, said funding is critical for the work she and her colleagues do to make WVU a global leader in her field.

“The funding we receive from the National Science Foundation for astrophysics allows WVU to be a world leader in cutting-edge research areas and provides unique opportunities for our undergraduate and graduate students, and even K-12 students across West Virginia,” McLaughlin said.

“Every dollar of federal research funding ultimately results in many more dollars of economic growth in our state through the STEM workforce growth and training it fuels.”

Additionally, external funding addressing health disparities across the state has increased. 

“Investing in research infrastructure has enabled conduct of groundbreaking research in specific areas most relevant to West Virginians,” said Dr. Sally Hodder, director of the West Virginia Clinical and Translational Science Institute, funded by the National Institutes of Health and housed at WVU.

“We have been able to focus biomedical research on areas most directly impacting the people of our state, including substance abuse, hepatitis C, cancer, cardiovascular disease and much more.”

In addition, research funding is critical to overhead costs at WVU. These “indirect expenditures,” also termed facilities and administrative costs, increased from $39 million in 2023 to $43 million today. The federal government sets a rate for those based on the amount of space utilized for externally funded work at the University and the administrative costs associated.

“Research funding extends beyond the labs and field sites,” King said. “It aids with the University’s bottom line and lays the groundwork for what we are able to accomplish in those labs and field sites.”

Research expenditures also figure into the University’s Carnegie Classification, the leading framework for measuring the level of research activity. WVU first attained R1 status, the highest category for research activity, in 2015 and has maintained that ranking since, as Carnegie releases assessments every three years.

WVU is currently one of only 146 institutions with that designation.

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