The University of Michigan launched several new initiatives in fiscal year 2025 to spur interdisciplinary research. 

The initiatives help researchers who want to have broad social and economic impact and strengthen their competitiveness for corporate, philanthropic and government funding. 

Among the new initiatives led by the Office of the Vice President for Research are Impact Institutes, a program that is aligned with the university’s Look to Michigan strategic vision and provides seed funding to launch and grow interdisciplinary research centers, and Building Better Futures, a grant program that supports innovative scholarship addressing complex societal challenges. They join existing efforts like Innovation Partnerships and Bold Challenges in offering new strategies that better position U-M researchers for current and future funding opportunities.

These initiatives support the University of Michigan community that accounted for a record $2.16 billion in research volume for FY ’25. This is one of the highest totals in the nation and reflects the fact that in so many areas of groundbreaking research, the state, the nation and the world look to Michigan. 

“Michigan’s research expenditures are more than just a number. They represent U-M’s leadership in improving health, advancing technologies and serving as a trusted partner for the most important challenges of our time,” said Arthur Lupia, vice president for research and innovation. “Across all three campuses, our researchers and staff demonstrate determination, innovation and a commitment to public service that makes a real difference for our state, nation and world.”

Details of the record expenditures are included in the office’s annual report, released this week.

Federal research funding in FY ’25, which came primarily from the National Institutes of Health and National Science Foundation, totaled $1.25 billion. This figure is expected to decrease in 2026, as recent reductions in federal research funding will begin to have larger implications nationwide. 

To support the university’s research enterprise, U-M has prioritized growth in diversified funding and interdisciplinary partnerships. Increased internal investments have played a key role. The university reported a record $699 million in internally sponsored expenditures, a 5.3% increase over 2024. 

This funding supports a broad range of projects, including work on new cancer treatments, helping children be safer online, and finding new ways to treat chronic pain.

Non-federal funding, including support from corporations, foundations and philanthropy, reached a record $213 million. The increase reflects growing collaboration between U-M researchers and private-sector partners that help drive innovative, cross-disciplinary projects.

Innovation Partnerships, a unit based in the Office of the Vice President for Research that serves as U-M’s nexus for research commercialization activity, facilitated the launch of 31 new startup companies and received a record-breaking 673 new invention reports in FY ’25, driving job creation and translating research into real-world solutions.

Look to Michigan, U-M’s strategic vision for driving innovation and societal impact, expanded this year under President Domenico Grasso’s leadership to include advanced technology as a fifth core pillar. This addition underscores U-M’s commitment to responsible technological progress alongside ongoing priorities in education, health, civic engagement and sustainability.

To support these efforts, OVPR launched the AI Institutes at Michigan to harness existing expertise in artificial intelligence and established the Office of National Laboratories to strengthen partnerships with Department of Energy national laboratories. 

“Our research community brings together world-class expertise and a shared commitment to public service,” Grasso said. “Through interdisciplinary collaboration and purposeful investment, U-M continues to drive progress in a rapidly changing research environment. When communities, industries and partners seek innovative solutions to the most pressing challenges, they continue to look to Michigan.”