University of Florida (UF) faculty conducted a record $1.34 billion in research during fiscal year 2026, marking a slight increase from the previous year as growth in state, industry and university-supported research offset a decline in federally funded spending.
The total represented a $6.5 million, or 0.5 percent, increase over fiscal year 2025, according to estimates UF submitted to the National Science Foundation’s annual Higher Education Research and Development Survey. The figures cover spending during the fiscal year that ended June 30 and are expected to be finalized early next year.
Federally funded research expenditures totaled $586.2 million, down 4.3 percent from the prior year. State and local government-supported research increased 5.8 percent to $245.4 million, while industry-funded research rose 10.5 percent to $45.8 million. UF’s own institutional research investment increased 9 percent to $306.4 million.
Research supported by nonprofit organizations declined 5.7 percent to $56.9 million.
“UF researchers continue to receive funding to tackle challenges that matter to Florida, the nation and the world,” said Dr. David Norton, UF’s vice president for research. “While the research funding landscape continues to evolve, growth in state support and industry partnerships helped sustain another record year of research activity.”
UF researchers also secured $1.09 billion in new federal awards during fiscal year 2026. Because many grants cover multiple years, those awards will translate into future spending on salaries, equipment, construction, supplies and other research costs.
Among the newly funded projects was a $43 million National Institutes of Health award to UF and Florida State University supporting their joint Clinical and Translational Science Award hub. The Florida Department of Health also awarded $7.5 million for development of Gator MOMitor, a smartphone application designed to help new mothers identify and report postpartum complications.
Nearly half of UF’s research expenditures were concentrated in biomedical sciences. The College of Medicine in Gainesville and Jacksonville recorded $368 million in research spending, while the Wertheim UF Scripps Institute accounted for $92.8 million.
UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences reported $302.8 million in research expenditures, and the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering recorded $181.1 million.
UF also reported 463 invention disclosures, 500 patent applications, 162 issued patents, 320 licensing agreements and 12 startup companies during the fiscal year.
