SE Valley Times

Arizona State University (ASU) has reported research expenditures nearing $904 million for the fiscal year 2023, according to the National Science Foundation's Higher Education Research and Development (HERD) annual survey. This places ASU at No. 21 among U.S. public institutions, surpassing schools such as the University of California, Irvine; Rutgers University; and Virginia Tech.

ASU is currently ranked No. 5 among institutions without a medical school, ahead of Princeton University and Carnegie Mellon University, and fourth among public institutions without a medical school. Excluding medical school expenditures, ASU ranks No. 13 overall in research expenditures among all universities.

ASU's growth in research funding positions it on the verge of reaching $1 billion annually—a milestone achieved by only 33 universities nationwide. Sally C. Morton, executive vice president of ASU Knowledge Enterprise, expressed optimism about this trajectory: "Arizona State University’s projections are exciting, with research expenditures expected to surpass a billion dollars within the next two fiscal years."

Since Michael Crow became president in 2002, ASU has increased its research activity more than sevenfold from $123 million to $904 million in expenditures. In recognition of its achievements, ASU was invited into the Association of American Universities in 2023.

In federal research spending categories included in the HERD survey, ASU maintained top rankings: No. 9 in NASA funds expenditure and No. 7 for health and human services funds among institutions without a medical school.

Research projects at ASU cover diverse fields including microelectronics with the Southwest Advanced Prototyping Hub funded by the CHIPS Act; Alzheimer's disease studies revealing potential links between choline levels and disease severity; space exploration through NASA's Psyche mission led by Lindy Elkins-Tanton; and heat impact studies conducted by Ariane Middel using unique tools like MaRTy and ANDI.

Morton emphasized that "our research at ASU is fundamental to our mission of fostering growth, discovery and societal impact," underscoring the university's commitment to innovation as it tackles contemporary challenges.