Stats & Rankings

University of Kentucky Funding for FY23

• Grant & contract awards to UK totaled $479.3 million
• Federal agencies awarded UK $252.6 million, 52.7% of UK’s total awards
  • National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants totaled $145.6 million
  • National Science Foundation (NSF) grants totaled $23.2 million
• State agencies awarded UK $137.3 million
• Industry awarded UK $28.1 million

Research Expenditure Rankings

Based on FY21 research expenditures totaling $429.2 million, UK ranks:

• 64th among 648 public and private universities (down from 63rd in FY20)
• 43rd among 418 public institutions (down from 41st in FY20)

These rankings were released in December 2022. 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
• 5 university centers
• 64 graduate companies since 1994

IP Development, Patents, Licenses in FY23

• 114 total invention disclosures submitted
  • 23 primary social innovation disclosures submitted
• 161 patent applications filed
• 37 new patents issued
• 930 worldwide patent assets
• 37 licenses and options executed
• 5 new start-up companies affiliated with UK technology
• $808,000 gross royalty income

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.