GAINESVILLE — The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) reached a new record for fiscal year 2023 with more than $300 million in research expenditures. This number is up 8% from last year’s $278 million.

UF/IFAS is the second-largest contributor to UF’s record-breaking $1.25 billion in research spending for fiscal year 2023, a nearly 15% increase from 2022.

“Research expenditures are an important measure of progress,” UF/IFAS Dean for Research Robert Gilbert said. “It’s a sign that the work is moving forward, and our researchers are in the labs and fields creating innovations that will positively impact Florida’s agriculture and natural resources sectors.”

The research spending data comes from the National Science Foundation’s annual Higher Education Research and Development (HERD) survey. The survey is the national standard for comparing apples-to-apples data for research expenditure among hundreds of U.S. universities for the fiscal year that ended June 30. The most recent HERD survey’s accounting of agricultural research expenditures ranked UF as the top-funded university in the country. The survey evaluated research in the areas of agricultural sciences and natural resources conservation. UF/IFAS researchers also received a record $171,926,104 in new, external research funding. Government agencies and industry partners increased their funding to UF/IFAS researchers by 36%, setting the organization up to produce strong outcomes in the years to come.

“Our faculty and staff are the driving forces behind the surge in funded proposals,” Gilbert, said. “Their collaboration on submitting and managing proposals on scientific topics that are crucial for benefitting society has made this impressive momentum possible.”

UF/IFAS’ work is expansive and includes expenditures for bovine research, aquaculture, agriculture, horticulture, entomology and much more. UF/IFAS researchers are trailblazers in their respective fields, leading the way in areas such as lunar soil exploration and tackling salient topics like harmful algal blooms and citrus greening. Of hundreds of public and private U.S. universities, UF is one of only 35 that topped $1 billion in annual research spending. The list includes Johns Hopkins, University of Michigan, UCLA, Harvard, Stanford, Penn and the University of California-Berkeley.