This year has marked significant progress for our research community, as we continue to champion innovation, collaboration, and excellence across all scientific disciplines. Throughout FY25, our faculty and staff have demonstrated remarkable commitment to high-impact research and scholarship as well as exceptional resilience and innovation amid complex external influences.
The University has expanded our reach—securing diverse funding, forging new partnerships, and translating discovery into real-world application. URA Teams and our Divisional partners have embraced new technologies and best practices in compliance, data management, and research integrity, ensuring our institution remains at the forefront of national and international standards.
Notably in FY25, proposal submission activity surged by 10% to $3.23 billion, driven by a 7% increase in federal dollars requested and a 24% growth in non-federal requests. The total number of awards accepted grew by 13%, and the number of unique Principal Investigators (PIs) accepting awards increased by 7%. Although awarded dollars and overall research expenditures remained flat, more UChicago PIs are securing funding to support their research and scholarship, reflecting both increased engagement as well as competition.
Whether through groundbreaking discoveries, impactful collaborations, or the stewardship of resources and compliance, URA and its stakeholders remain steadfast in their mission to foster a thriving environment for inquiry and a dynamic research ecosystem. I am deeply grateful to everyone who contributed to these successes—from our researchers and administrators to our leaders, supporters and partners. I invite you to review this report and join us in celebrating the momentum we have built in FY25—and the shared commitment that drives us forward.
The Office of Research continues several support service initiatives to enhance unit efforts to grow their research portfolios. These customized services provide a spectrum of support that help faculty develop research ideas, identify funding opportunities, prepare and submit large-scale funding proposals. For additional information, please reach out to the Research Development Support (RDS) team.
In addition, the University Research Administration (URA) office continues to enhance processes for award acceptance, account management and project closeout that together provide better service to faculty and to unit research administrators.
The FY25 final proposal, award, and expense totals summary report is below. Those with access to the Sponsored Programs Dashboard (SPD) report (in Orbit) will be able to obtain further detailed information about the unit totals.
Please keep in mind that gifts, endowments, and contributions from alumni and friends of the University are not administered through URA and are not included in the data.
With appreciation,
Jennifer A. Ponting, J.D.
Associate Vice President for Research Administration & Director, URA.