The University of California, Davis announced the institution surpassed $1 billion in external research funds for the 2021-22 fiscal year. The accomplishment topped the University’s record from last year by $102.9 million dollars.
The College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences was in the top five programs to increase its funding. From last year, the college raised $72 million for a total of $225 million.
“This new record for research award funding marks a historic moment for UC Davis,” said Chancellor Gary S. May in a press release. “More than ever, our university is on a mission to address some of the world’s greatest challenges, from how we feed the world to the health of all living beings. This milestone shows clearly how UC Davis research is being sought more than ever, by both the public and private sector, and across numerous fields. I’m confident this kind of global impact from UC Davis will only continue to grow.”
The funding goal adds UC Davis to a list of less than 20 public universities that have raised over $1 billion dollars in a year for research and development. In the National Center for Science and Engineering Statics Higher Education Research and Development Survey for Fiscal Year 2020, UC Berkeley was ranked 30th in research funding for public and private schools.
The federal and state governments were the two top supporters of the funding. The federal government contributed $499 million, down $15 million from last year, and the state of California contributed $210 million, which was up by $46 million from the previous year. Funding from industry made up the third highest source, totaling $104 million.
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The largest grant was from the USDA Food and Nutrition Service of $53.4 million. The grant went to the University of California CalFresh Nutrition Education Program Director Kamaljeet Khaira and will be used to increase a healthy lifestyles and decrease obesity in low-income families.
The Department of Plant Sciences also received a notable grant for a project set to accelerate plant breeding for farmers in sub-Saharan Africa. GEMINI: GxEXM Innovation in Intelligence for climate adaptation will use 3-D modeling and artificial intelligence to improve growing beans, cowpeas and sorghum. The award was funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
“As the funding for research grows, so does the impact that UC Davis extends around the world,” said Prasant Mohapatra, vice chancellor for research at UC Davis in a press release. “This year’s grand accomplishment of surpassing $1 billion in research funding will translate into tomorrow’s discoveries, insight and products that offer a brighter future for our global community.”
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