Virginia Tech was responsible for almost half of the growth in federally sponsored research expenditures in Virginia’s institutions of higher education in fiscal year 2023, according to the National Science Foundation’s latest Higher Education Research and Development (HERD) survey.

The annual report, which charts the nation’s institutions by research expenditures, showed the university accounted for 47 percent of Virginia institutions’ collective growth in federally sponsored research expenditures and revealed Virginia Tech to be the commonwealth’s only R1 university whose ranking for federal funding increased, rising from No. 67 to No. 62. Specifically, the university climbed in its rankings of support from the Department of Defense – up to No. 20 from No. 26 – and from the National Science Foundation – up to No. 34 from No. 37, and had the second highest percent of growth in Department of Health and Human Services support among the top-100 universities. 

“The HERD report is yet another reflection of Virginia Tech’s upward trending trajectory of externally sponsored projects and robust partnerships,” said Dan Sui, Virginia Tech’s senior vice president and chief research and innovation officer. “Each dollar represents a sponsor — whether it be a government agency, private industry partner, or nonprofit entity — who has confidence in us to have the best ideas, talent, and capacity to carry our exploration and impact.”

The survey comes on the heels of Virginia Tech’s recent announcement of a new goal for externally funded expenditures — $600 million by fiscal year 2029. The university surpassed its previous target — $415 million by 2025 — two years early. 

Research represents about 90 percent of the sponsored work done at Virginia Tech, and research expenditures reflect awarded money spent during those projects. Specific fields highlighted by the HERD report’s national peer rankings for total expenditures include:

  • Computer and information sciences, No. 21
  • Mathematics and statistics, No. 14
  • Engineering, No. 14 

High-ranking subfields include:

  • Industrial and manufacturing engineering, No. 4
  • Natural resources and conservation, No. 6
  • Electrical, electronic, and communications engineering, No. 9
  • Civil engineering, No. 9
  • Aerospace, aeronautical, and astronautical engineering, No. 13
  • Bioengineering and biomedical engineering, No. 13
  • Mechanical engineering, No. 19
  • Agricultural sciences, No. 20
  • Economics, No. 27

Extramural funding also is spread out across the Virginia Tech landscape and in fiscal year 2023, a significant boost was attributed to the work of three research institutes: the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC, the Virginia Tech National Security Institute, and the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute. Combined, their externally sponsored research expenditures grew by a total of 22.7 percent that year, accounting for more than a quarter of the university’s research expenditures. The Virginia Tech Transportation Institute alone accounted for 11 percent. 

Examples of this externally funded work from fiscal year 2023 include:

This most recent report also comes in the midst of the university pursuing one of its core aspirations – Virginia Tech Global Distinction – which is a commitment to institutional excellence across research, scholarship, and creative activities that makes the university a destination for the best faculty, students, and partners from the commonwealth, the nation, and the world. 

“Externally funded expenditures are a key metric by which research activity is judged nationally and internationally,” Sui said. “As awareness of the critical work we’re doing grows, so too does our ability to continue convening talent and engagement from every corner of the diverse research landscape and harnessing it to make positive impacts on global priorities and the human condition.”

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