UNO Awarded $40 Million in Research, Creative Activity Grants in 2023-2024

Highlights

• In total, $40,621,405 was awarded in external funding from 89 unique sponsors, 25 federal agencies, and 14 different state agencies in FY 2023-2024.

• UNO Chancellor Joanne Li, Ph.D., CFA: “Our faculty and researchers are dedicated to producing knowledge that not only advances their fields but also directly benefits our community, the state of Nebraska, the nation, and the world.”

Investigators at the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) secured more than $40 million for research and creative activity for the second consecutive year, the Office of Research and Creative Activity (ORCA) announced today.

In total, $40,621,405 was awarded in external funding from 89 unique sponsors, 25 federal agencies, and 14 different state agencies in FY 2023-2024, which ended in June.

"This year’s award total is a testament to the impactful work of UNO’s scholars,” UNO Chancellor Joanne Li, Ph.D., CFA, said. “Our faculty and researchers are dedicated to producing knowledge that not only advances their fields but also directly benefits our community, the state of Nebraska, the nation, and the world. At UNO, we are committed to research that has real-world applications that people can use to improve their everyday lives."

Notable projects that received funding in 2023-2024 include:

• NCITE received $4.6 million from the Department of Homeland Security to manage and conduct counterterrorism research. The new research projects pulled in 12 new academic partners.

• A $11 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) established the Center for Cardiovascular Research in Biomechanics (CRiB), a groundbreaking initiative aimed at developing innovative materials and devices to address the pressing challenges posed by vascular diseases, which remain a leading cause of death and disability globally.

• UNO received its first ever National Foundation for the Arts (NEA) grant, which will fund a project for the School of Music to collaborate on bringing Lakota culture and music to K-12 students.

Additional highlights from the 2023-2024 fiscal year include:

• 166 unique principal investigators submitted a total of 338 unique proposals, with 188 proposals receiving funding.

• A $3.1 million increase in new submissions from the previous year.

• ORCA awarded 2025 student awards for a total of $654,762 – a nearly 60% increase from the previous fiscal year.

• The College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences (CEHHS) led the colleges with $8.4 million in awards, followed by the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) with $7.8 million, and the College of Public Affairs and Community Service (CPACS) with $7.3 million.

"This year’s funding total reflects a campus-wide commitment to discovery and innovation,” UNO Associate Vice Chancellor for Research and Creative Activity Sara Myers, Ph.D., said. “It highlights the collaborative efforts of our faculty, staff, and students to stay on the cutting edge and tackle challenges that matter to society. I am incredibly proud of the dedication and creativity shown across all our disciplines."