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KU Research Funding Soars in 2023, Contributes $1.2B into U.S. Economy

The University of Kansas has had one of its best years for research funding. Photo credit: Will Crow.

Posted April 8, 2024

Research at The University of Kansas capped out at a record $368.6 million in 2023 across all campuses, allowing the institute to make a $1.2 billion impact on the U.S. economy. 

In 2023, research funding at KU supported 4,372 salaries and spent $78.9 million in 97 Kansas counties on research-related goods and services. KU’s research in the past year includes Alzheimer’s disease, sustaining Kansas water resources, child abuse prevention, opioid addiction, clean energy and more.

KU research funding was divided into five groups; federal government, state/local government, private industry/business, nonprofit foundation and other sources. Federal government contributed $253.8 million (68.8%); state and local government funding contributed $53.2 million (14.4%); private industries and businesses contributed $32.7 million (8.9%); nonprofit foundations contributed $15.5 million (4.2%) and funding contributed from other sources equaled $13.4 million (3.6%).

Between 2011 to 2022, KU contributed $1.2 billion to the U.S. economy, according to the Institute for Research on Innovation & Science. Throughout this economic impact, KU was able to support more than 7,200 vendors and subcontractors — 650 minority- or women-owned businesses.

Furthermore, 49 startup companies have been created from KU or KU technologies, with more than half located in Kansas.