FAMU concluded the 2023-24 academic year with an unprecedented achievement, securing a record-breaking $112.4 million in research funding, a $16 million increase over last year. This substantial funding, drawn from federal, state, corporate, and local sources, underscores the university's growing prominence in scientific and engineering research.
In a statement, President Larry Robinson said "The FAMU research enterprise has grown tremendously and reflects the groundbreaking science and engineering being conducted by our faculty. Topping $100 million in research awards is an important milestone in our goal of reaching Carnegie Research-1 status. It’s only a matter of time before FAMU achieves that goal."
The university's Research & Development (R&D) spending for the year is reported at $72.6 million, according to Charles Weatherford, vice president for Research. This figure represents a substantial increase from the previous year's $63.5 million in R&D spending.
Weatherford emphasized the significance of this achievement, noting, "This is the fifth straight year of record total awards and R&D spending. The FAMU faculty and research administrative staff have produced these results and have moved the university much closer to the Carnegie R-1 goal."
The university's recent success in securing substantial research funding has been buoyed by the Biden- Harris' Administration deliberate efforts to ensure that HBCUs get a larger share of federal research and development dollars as well as a testament to the quality and impact of FAMU's research initiatives. The Biden-Harris identified more than $100 million in federal research dollars for HBCUs geared toward pushing them toward R-1 status.
The university's commitment to advancing knowledge and contributing to the scientific community is evident in its ongoing efforts to achieve Carnegie Research-1 status, a classification that recognizes institutions with very high research activity.
As FAMU continues to build on its research enterprise, the university is poised to make further strides in scientific discovery and technological innovation, contributing to its reputation as a leading research institution.