Norman, Okla.—University of Oklahoma President David L. Boren today announced that OU’s Norman campus faculty achieved $98.4 million in fiscal year 2017 research expenditures, an increase of more than $2.33 million from the previous year and an all-time high for the Norman campus. Nationally, the University ranks in the top 60 among public comprehensive research universities for total research and development expenditures. OU also holds the Carnegie Foundation’s highest tier of research activity classification – the first public institution in Oklahoma to receive such recognition.
“This record increase in research activity is a true testament to the University’s role in serving as one of the state’s most important engines for economic progress,” said OU President David L. Boren.
Research and sponsored program expenditures have increased by 250 percent since 1994. In the past year, more than $97.7 million in new research grants and contracts have been awarded to Norman campus researchers. The Norman campus faculty also submitted an all-time external funding requests record of $552 million. Additionally, OU research staff received more than 900 active awards. Ten faculty members had research expenditures exceeding $1 million; 15 faculty had $900,000 or more in research expenditures; and 25 faculty had more than $800,000 in research expenditures.
“Most FY 2017 research expenditures comprise funds brought in from outside the State of Oklahoma through competitive awards won by OU researchers. OU does receive some State funding for grants and contracts for work related to research studies on earthquakes, water, health and other issues, but this funding from the State is not money appropriated to the University,” said OU Norman Campus Vice President for Research Kelvin Droegemeier.
In FY 2017, OU was awarded an eight-year, $161 million contract from NASA for the development of the Geostationary Carbon Cycle Observatory to extend our nation’s lead in measuring key carbon-based greenhouse gases and vegetation health from space in order to advance understanding of Earth’s natural exchanges of carbon between land, atmosphere and ocean. The NASA contract, which began on July 1, 2017, is the largest contract ever to be awarded to the University.
Also in FY 2017, OU President David L. Boren received the American Academy of Arts and Sciences Fellowship. OU research faculty receiving major awards in FY 2017 were Corey Potvin, Presidential Early
Career Award for Scientists and Engineers; William Frick, Fulbright Scholarship; Jing Tao and Steven Crossley, National Science Foundation Faculty Early Career Development Program awards; Michael Kaspari, American Association for the Advancement of Science Fellowship; and Daniel Mains, Humboldt Research Fellowship.
