Find all Leading Research Universities Reports below. The Leading Research Universities report is a free newsletter covering events in higher education and research.
New data from the National Science Foundation show that investment in research and development continues to increase in the United States, with an estimated total of $993 billion of R&D performed in 2024 – but that the increase tilts heavily toward developmental research rather than fundamental, curiosity-driven research.
Credit: Allison Shelley/Complete College Photo Library
By Paul Stern
Research funding provided by the National Institutes of Health in FY25 supported 390,863 jobs and drove $94.15 billion in new economic activity nationwide, a new report by United for Medical Research found. The report credits strong, bipartisan congressional support in the last decade for the continued investment in NIH research funding, but notes the challenge stemming from recent use of multi-year funding.
America’s national security innovation base will falter without stronger commitments to basic science, public research and development, and a more robust talent pipeline, says a new “report card” from the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute.
Last week, AAU submitted a comment letter urging the Department of Education to delay finalizing a proposed rule that would implement changes to the federal student loan programs initially enacted last year in the H.R. 1 reconciliation bill.
In a recent comment letter, AAU encouraged the Department of Energy to establish new dual-competency training pathways that help students gain both AI fluency and deep expertise in a scientific or engineering field.
Lawmakers have reached agreement on legislation that would reauthorize two crucial federal programs that facilitate innovation by making it easier for startups and other small businesses to bring research discoveries to market.
New findings from Gallup and the Lumina Foundation suggest that current students and graduates feel much more positive than the general public about their campus experiences and the value of their degrees.
Over the past six months, several AAU universities have announced efforts to expand free tuition programs for students from families earning an income of $100,000-$200,000.
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AAU member institutions are once again overrepresented in an annual ranking of universities worldwide that patented the most inventions. The rankings, released by the National Academy of Inventors, are based on the number of utility patents granted to universities by the United States Patent and Trademark Office each year, and demonstrate the crucial role research universities play in the global innovation ecosystem.