• The University of Florida exceeded $1 billion in research spending for the first time in school history 
• The school more than tripled the next highest in-state research schools in Florida State University and the University of Miami. 
• UF Health made up nearly a majority of the spending across its six departments

The University of Florida (UF) surpassed $1 billion in research spending for the first time, developing treatments for diseases, new agricultural products, engineering solutions, and countless other advancements.

With $1.076 billion in research expenditures, UF swamps in-state competition. Florida State University and the University of Miami, the next two highest-spending research schools in the state, both spend between $325 million and $350 million on research, respectively, according to the economic reports of both schools.

“Surpassing the $1 billion research milestone reflects UF’s continued rise as one of the leading research universities in the United States,” said university Vice President for Research David Norton. “But this number represents far more than dollars – it represents the value of these researchers’ remarkable intellect and talent and its impact on our state, our nation, and the world.”

Almost half of the research occurred in the six colleges of UF Health, led by the College of Medicine in Gainesville and Jacksonville with $347 million, the College of Public Health & Health Professions with $34.5 million, the College of Veterinary Medicine with $32.1 million, the College of Pharmacy with $31.4 million, the College of Dentistry with $17.2 million, and the College of Nursing with $5 million.

Researchers at the UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) in Gainesville and at research centers and extension offices throughout the state conducted $278 million in research, assisting the state’s agricultural industry in successfully producing hundreds of commodities ranging from citrus and blueberries to clams and pine trees, according to the university’s news statement.

Meanwhile, the statement states that Engineers in the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering conducted $131.8 million in research on such things as the application of artificial intelligence and cybersecurity, predicting and mitigating hurricane damage, and ensuring bridge and road safety.

Much of the research was subsidized in part by federal institutions such as the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, the United States Department of Agriculture, the Department of Energy, and NASA. The state of Florida contributed an additional $171.7 million. Industry and private foundations round out the financing sources.

Following a string of high-profile cybersecurity attacks nationwide, the United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the UF have partnered in order to help strengthen the nation’s cybersecurity infrastructure.

An agreement between the university and the CIA calls for research on the use of AIML—artificial intelligence and machine learning—to identify and prevent hostile actors from infiltrating computer networks. Researchers connected to the Florida Institute for National Security at UF will perform the work.