Ohio State now ranks seventh nationally among public universities in research funding

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio State University now ranks seventh nationally among all public universities in research expenditures and a remarkable second place when it comes to industry-sponsored research.

Ohio State's total research expenditures were $652 million for fiscal year 2006, an increase of 7 percent over 2005's $609 million.

The federal government has not yet completed its statistical analysis of the nation's academic research expenditures for fiscal year 2007, but information compiled by Ohio State's Research Foundation shows continued strong growth during fiscal year 2007 with research expenditures climbing to $720 million, more than 10 percent above the fiscal year 2006 total.

The new rankings reflect a steady advance for Ohio State in the past four years, during which the university stair-stepped its way annually from 10th place in 2003 to its current rank of seventh in the nation.

Among public and private universities, Ohio State stands in 11th place, based on research expenditures, a step up from last year's ranking of 12th overall.

The new rankings are based on the latest figures available from the National Science Foundation, which tallies all federal research support from a host of federal agencies, along with funding from state government, industry, foundations and other organizations.

Institutions gauge research growth on expenditures – how much money they spend to conduct research – rather than on grants and awards – since expenditures more accurately reflect research activity within a given year.

"This is only the latest evidence that Ohio State is steadily advancing and being recognized for its role in national academic leadership," said university President E. Gordon Gee.

"It acknowledges the value of the research and scholarship achieved by the university's thousands of researchers each day, and their service to the people of Ohio, the region and the nation."

A large part of the recent growth reflects the State of Ohio's innovative Third Frontier Program, which links industry and businesses with university researchers to apply the latest technological innovations to important problems facing Ohioans, and providing vital growth to the state's economy.

Robert McGrath, senior vice president for research at Ohio State, said, "The Third Frontier Program has been driving Ohio State innovations in medical imaging, power and propulsion, nanotechnology and utilization of soy and corn materials as petroleum substitutes in manufacturing lubricants, paints, and other industrial products.

"Third Frontier Programs capitalize on our strengths in applied research and have significantly expanded the university's traditionally strong research partnerships with industry," he said.

The current rankings show that Ohio State has passed Big Ten institutions such as Penn State (eighth place) and the University of Minnesota (ninth place), as well as traditional research powerhouses like the University of California, Davis (10th place) and the University of California, Berkeley (12th place).
The full report is online