UCSC extramural funding tops $234 million for 2020-21

researcher in lab

UC Santa Cruz attracted $234.3 million in external funding to the campus in the 2020-21 fiscal year, a 23.5% increase over the previous year.

UCSC's continued success in attracting funding for research and education has led to steady growth in grants and contracts over the past five years.

“The range of research and creative work of the UCSC faculty, researchers, and those engaged in educational programs continues to be recognized through contract and grant support from a range of federal and state agencies and private foundations. It is a testament to the creativity and dedication of all on campus who are engaged in and support research,” said Vice Chancellor for Research John MacMillan.

As in past years, the National Institutes of Health was the single largest funding source ($51.6 million), followed by the National Science Foundation ($20.5 million) and the Department of Education ($17.3 million). The Heising-Simons Foundation was the campus's largest source of private funding, with awards totaling more than $2.8 million.

The top research awards included a $7.9 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy for particle physics research and a $5.7 million grant from NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service for fisheries ecology research. The top non-research awards included a $5.9 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education for student achievement and equity innovation.

Additional information is available in the Annual Report of the Office of Research.