U-M reports $2.13B in annual research volume
U-M advances research through record university, partner support
By Wendy Sutton
Office of the Vice President for Research
The University of Michigan reported $2.13 billion in research volume during fiscal year 2026, supporting advances that address critical challenges in biotechnology, human health and wellness, computing, climate and Earth sciences.
That total included approximately $934 million in Medical School research expenditures, demonstrating U-M’s commitment to medical research that improves and saves lives. The College of Engineering accounted for nearly $366 million, while the Institute for Social Research reported $191 million, reflecting the breadth of U-M’s research enterprise in engineering and the social sciences.
Record internal investment and a 17.1% increase in nonfederal sponsored research expenditures over FY25 helped U-M’s annual research volume surpass $2 billion for the third consecutive year. This university and partner support helped offset a 7.4% decline in federal research expenditures amid a changing federal funding environment.
Details are included in the Office of the Vice President for Research’s annual report, released this week.
“U-M researchers continue to demonstrate that discovery has its greatest value through a stellar mix of innovation and collaboration,” said Patricia Hurn, interim vice president for research and innovation.
“Our sustained investment in research, along with growing support from partners across sectors, allows our research community to pursue bold ideas that change people’s lives and shape our hopes for the future.”
The federal government remained U-M’s largest research sponsor, providing $1.16 billion in FY26. The National Institutes of Health accounted for $751 million. Funded projects include tracking changes in adult health, finances and retirement, as well as dementia care workforce studies aimed at improving care, training and policy.
NASA supported 941 projects, and research expenditures totaled nearly $31 million in FY26. Leading projects included the use of satellite measurements of ocean winds to improve hurricane forecasting and studies of the moon Europa’s subsurface ocean to assess its potential to support life.
U-M also increased its own investment, reporting a record $729 million in internally funded research expenditures, a 4.3% increase over FY25. This funding supported research ranging from efforts to alleviate suffering associated with neurological diseases to work focused on the causes, prevention and treatment of bipolar disorder and work addressing challenges in drug and gene delivery.
Nonfederal sponsored research expenditures reached a record $249 million. Support from corporations, foundations, philanthropic organizations, the state of Michigan and other partners helped drive innovative, cross-disciplinary projects across the university.
Innovation Partnerships, U-M’s central hub for advancing research discoveries toward commercial use, helped launch a record 40 startups, attracting a record $796 million in venture capital. Based on publicly available data, it was the highest single-year startup total reported by a U.S. university. The 40 startups represent an average of approximately one new company every nine days. The unit also received a record 726 invention reports in FY26.
ASICS committed $25 million to support research advancing human performance and sport science through a collaboration with a multidisciplinary team assembled by Innovation Partnerships. The team brings together experts in medicine, engineering, human performance, robotics, textiles and the social sciences.
Nonfederal support also included significant philanthropic investment. The Marcus Foundation donated nearly $19 million to a project to design and construct an implantable, long-term brain-computer interface intended to help restore the ability of stroke patients to communicate.
“Research is fundamental to the University of Michigan’s mission of serving the greater good,” President Domenico Grasso said. “By bringing together the expertise of our faculty, staff and students and working with partners across the public, private and philanthropic sectors, we are advancing discoveries that strengthen communities, expand opportunity and improve lives.”