Ohio State hits record $1.68 billion in research spending, cementing its place among nation's elite

Ohio State University announced a record $1.68 billion in research and development expenditures for fiscal year 2025, extending a streak of annual increases that has vaulted the Columbus institution into the upper tier of American research universities.

The 6% year-over-year growth was powered by gains across both public and private funding streams. Federal funding — still the largest slice of the pie — rose 3% to more than $797 million, while industry-sponsored research climbed 10% to $174.8 million.

"This extraordinary achievement is a clear signal that public and private partners trust that when they invest in Ohio State innovation, they'll get results," President Walter "Ted" Carter Jr. said in announcing the new figures.

Why it matters

Ohio State’s research enterprise now operates at a scale comparable to the economies of some small countries, and its growth has real implications for Ohio’s economy.

University R&D spending generates downstream activity — startups, patents, talent pipelines, and supply chain contracts — that ripples through central Ohio and beyond.

The milestone also arrives at a moment of national uncertainty around federal research funding. Ohio State's ability to post a 3% increase in federal dollars suggests the university's grant-writing apparatus and institutional reputation remain competitive even as Washington scrutinizes agency budgets.

The new NSF HERD survey rankings for fiscal year 2024 placed Ohio State 12th nationally for total research expenditures — ahead of Harvard, Duke, and Yale.

By the numbers

• $1.68B: Total R&D expenditures, FY2025
• 6%: Year-over-year growth
• $797M+: Federal research funding (up 3%)
• $420M: NIH funding alone (up 5%)
• $83.8M: Department of War (the federal agency overseeing the U.S. military) funding (up 12%)
• $10.1M: NASA funding (up 15%)
• $174.8M: Industry-sponsored research (up 10%)
• No. 12: National ranking among all universities (NSF HERD, FY2024)

The strategic shift

The fastest-growing pockets of Ohio State's portfolio tell a story about where the university is placing its bets. Defense-related funding from the Department of War (the federal agency overseeing the U.S. military) jumped 12%, and NASA funding surged 15% — both areas where Ohio's legacy in aerospace and defense manufacturing gives the university a natural advantage.

Industry partnerships are growing even faster than federal support. The 10% increase in corporate-sponsored research reflects a broader national trend of companies turning to universities as outsourced R&D engines — but Ohio State's roster of partners is notably Ohio-centric.

Honda's battery technology collaboration, Starlab Space's work in commercial low-earth orbit, and the Nationwide Center for Advanced Customer Insights at Fisher College of Business all represent the kind of embedded, long-term corporate relationships that generate recurring revenue for a research enterprise.

The Ohio angle

For a state that has spent the last decade repositioning itself as a technology and innovation corridor, Ohio State's milestone adds ballast to the narrative. The university's research spending now serves as an anchor for the broader ecosystem that includes the Intel chip fabrication campus in Licking County and Honda's EV battery joint venture in Fayette County.

The breadth of the research portfolio — spanning health care, energy, agriculture, AI, and the humanities across 15 colleges — also makes the university a diversified bet for state policymakers who want resilience, not just headline projects.

Vice President for Research John M. Horack framed the number as a community achievement: "These results are a direct testament to the dedication of our faculty, staff, students and partners who push the boundaries of discovery every day."