Stats & Rankings

University of Kentucky Funding for FY24

• Grant & contract awards to UK totaled $488.4 million
• Federal agencies awarded UK $264.4 million, 54.1% of UK’s total awards
  • National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants totaled $163.1 million
  • National Science Foundation (NSF) grants totaled $15.9 million
• State agencies awarded UK $127.2 million
• Industry awarded UK $22.2 million

For more, see Record new awards reflect research to advance Kentucky (July 17, 2024)

Research Expenditure Rankings

Based on FY22 research expenditures totaling $476.5 million, UK ranks:

• 61st among 637 public and private universities (up from 64th in FY21)
• 40th among 410 public institutions (up from 43rd in FY21)

These rankings were released in December 2023. The National Science Foundation (NSF), through the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES), publishes the Higher Education Research and Development (HERD) Survey each year ranking the top universities according to what they spend on research. The HERD survey is considered to be the primary source of information on R&D expenditures within academia. For more information, see NSF Publications & Data.

Trifecta of Research Designations

UK is one of 34 institutions in the country with the trifecta of research designations for excellence in cancer, aging and translational science.

• Markey Cancer Center: Comprehensive Cancer Center (National Cancer Institute)
• Center for Clinical and Translational Science: Clinical & Translational Science Award (CTSA)
• Sanders-Brown Center on Aging: Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (National Institute on Aging)

ASTeCC Campus Incubator

• 20 companies located on-site
• 65 private company employees
• 10 faculty R&D labs
• 3 university centers
• 64 graduate companies since 1994

IP Development, Patents, Licenses in FY24

• 142 total invention disclosures submitted
  • 56 primary social innovation disclosures submitted
• 162 patent applications filed
• 43 new patents issued
• 675 global patent assets
• 65 licenses and options executed
• 7 new start-up companies affiliated with UK technology

Licensing Income & Startups Rankings

According to the Association of University Technology Managers (AUTM) FY22 survey, UK ranks:

• 51st among public universities in the number of startups created (3)
• 57th among public universities in licensing income ($1,523,917)

For more information, see AUTM.