Research From national recognition to a record $628 million in R&D expenditures, UGA’s research is making headlines.
Over the past few years, the University of Georgia has cemented its reputation as a research powerhouse. With a commitment to innovation, strengthening economies, better health outcomes and improved lives throughout the world, the institution’s robust research domain begins with outstanding faculty.
Our researchers and educators are recognized among the nation’s most prestigious academies. In 2025, eight faculty members were named Senior Members of the National Academy of Inventors, alongside a newly elected NAI Fellow. UGA researchers also hold membership in the National Academy of Sciences, including J. Marshall Shepherd, Mary Ann Moran, and the father of modern ecology, the late Eugene P. Odum. In 2022, Jenna Jambeck became UGA’s second MacArthur Fellow, recognized for her innovative work in environmental sustainability.
In the last decade, endowed faculty positions have expanded from 229 to 380. A commitment to faculty continues with UGA welcoming three new Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholars in 2024, bringing the total to 19 faculty with this distinction.
“Our achievements in research and our goals for pushing further represent something even greater—the university’s commitment to elevating the human condition,” said President Jere W. Morehead, putting the record-setting research figure into perspective. “As Bulldogs, we are tenacious and remain committed to reaching higher and accomplishing even more.”
Research and development expenditures have soared, eclipsing the $600 million dollar mark for the first time in FY 2024. That’s a 10% year-over-year increase and the sixth consecutive year of growth. With UGA ranking #1 for bringing new products to market based on university research, our commitment to economic impact is stronger than ever.
Since 2020, 97 faculty members have joined UGA through presidential hiring initiatives, enhancing expertise in key areas such as brain and behavioral health, data science and artificial intelligence, electric mobility and integrative precision agriculture.
“A world-class faculty is the driving force behind any successful research university, and I look forward to seeing their collective expertise continue to redefine the boundaries of what is possible,” Morehead said.
Looking ahead, the establishment of the UGA School of Medicine will expand health care access in the region and further fuel the university’s research engine. A study conducted by Tripp Umbach, a nationally renowned consulting firm, estimates the medical school’s statewide economic impact to be between $1.8 billion and $2.3 billion by 2040. The report emphasizes improvements to health care, research expansion and job creation across Georgia as the main drivers of economic return.
“The tremendous growth in our research enterprise over the past several years is a direct reflection of the exceptional quality of the UGA community,” said S. Jack Hu, the university’s senior vice president for academic affairs and provost.
