Oregon State University research funding reached $308.9 million, its highest level ever, in the fiscal year that ended on June 30. A near doubling of revenues from licensing patented technologies and an 8.5 percent increase in competitive federal funding fueled OSU research on a range of projects including advanced ocean-going research vessels, the health impacts of pollution and sustainable materials for high-speed computing.
Oregon State researchers exceeded the previous record of $288 million, which the university achieved in 2010. Since then, total private-sector funding from sponsored contracts, research cooperatives and other sources has risen 60 percent — from $25 million to more than $40 million in 2015.
“OSU’s performance in the last year is phenomenal, given that federal funds are so restricted right now,” says Cynthia Sagers, OSU’s vice president for research. “This translates into economic growth for Oregon and the region.”