For the seventh consecutive year, the University of Georgia set a research and development record with $654 million in related expenditures during fiscal year 2025, representing a 4.1% increase over the previous year. Since 2015, UGA’s R&D activity has grown by 75%.
“Through purposeful research, the University of Georgia continues to drive discovery and pursue solutions to the greatest challenges facing our state, the nation and beyond,” said UGA President Jere W. Morehead. “Our talented faculty, staff and students set the standard for excellence in research, and I am truly grateful for their efforts in support of our vital mission as a land-grant and sea-grant institution.”
The growth of the university’s research enterprise has been enhanced by a strategic focus on hiring and supporting renowned faculty, as well as infrastructure improvements to modernize labs and classrooms. UGA has added 223 scholars since 2020 and has increased its number of endowed professorships to 400.
A modernization project on UGA’s Science and Ag Hill moved into its third phase last year, following completion of a second phase the year prior. UGA also began construction on the $100 million medical education and research building, which will serve the university’s new School of Medicine. The new school is projected to generate between $1.8 and $2.3 billion in economic impact on the state by 2040 while advancing the health of communities in Georgia and beyond.
“UGA’s research enterprise is a dynamic engine for progress in our state,” said Benjamin C. Ayers, senior vice president for academic affairs and provost. “We are proud of how our faculty translate their expertise into breakthroughs that change lives for people across the state and around the world. It is this commitment to service and innovation that defines us as Georgia’s flagship institution.”
UGA’s federal R&D expenditures rose 11%. The university saw its largest year-over-year percentage growth from agencies including the U.S. Department of Defense, National Science Foundation and NASA, among others:
- U.S. Department of Defense: 64.6%
- National Science Foundation: 46.5%
- NASA: 41.1%
- Agency for International Development: 17.9%
- U.S. Department of the Interior: 16.8%
- U.S. Department of Commerce: 14.1%
- U.S. Department of Agriculture: 10.4%
- U.S. Department of Energy: 7.2%
Research funding from federal, state and private sources provides vital resources that fuel innovation and impact at UGA — from glycoscience to precision agriculture and regenerative medicine to next-gen education — providing solutions to challenges across the state.
One project, supported by an $18 million grant from the NSF’s BioFoundries program in the first half of FY 2025, is the BioFoundry: Glycoscience Resources, Education and Training program. Led by principal investigator Lance Wells, Distinguished Research Professor and Georgia Research Alliance Distinguished Investigator at the Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, the program is an ambitious effort to increase awareness, interest, knowledge and participation in carbohydrate science. Carbohydrate research impacts a range of domains, from medicine and health care to food and plant science, biotechnology, energy and more.
Xiaoming Zhai, associate professor in the Mary Frances Early College of Education, is leveraging a $10 million grant from the Institute of Education Sciences to establish a research and development center that will provide national leadership on best practices for using generative artificial intelligence in classrooms. In collaboration with partner universities, the National Center on Generative AI for Uplifting STEM+C Education will facilitate the teaching and learning of science through development of generative AI learning agents.
In UGA’s Regenerative Bioscience Center, experts are studying the potential for new treatments of traumatic brain injury using mesenchymal stem cells. Backed by $3.7 million from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, the project will provide novel therapies for the estimated 2.8 million people who sustain traumatic brain injuries annually. The project is led by Steven Stice, RBC director and GRA Eminent Scholar in Regenerative Medicine; Franklin West, professor of animal and dairy science in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences; and Jarrod Call, professor of pharmacology in the College of Veterinary Medicine.
UGA and North Dakota-based Grand Farm also broke ground in May 2025 on the University of Georgia Grand Farm, a partnership in Perry, Georgia, that will sow the seeds of crucial agricultural innovation. The farm will develop and demonstrate new technologies and automation, focused on Georgia’s specialty crops and Southeast agriculture. The first field projects went live in 2025.
“Researchers at the University of Georgia continue to chart new territory for impact, innovation and development of the workforce of tomorrow,” said Chris King, interim vice president for research. “They meet the challenges of the moment, provide new solutions and position UGA as a leader in the state and beyond.”
The University of Georgia again ranked No. 1 among U.S. universities for the number of products brought to market based on its research in the annual survey by AUTM. It has ranked either first or second for 10 consecutive years.
Academic research greatly contributes to the university’s annual economic impact on the state of Georgia, which was estimated at $8.4 billion in FY 2024. The FY 2025 R&D expenditures will be used to determine the university’s 2025 ranking in the NSF’s Higher Education Research and Development survey. HERD rankings lag a year behind; in the FY 2024 data, UGA ranked No. 59 out of over 680 surveyed institutions.