Research Impact
Research Impact
Our Health, Our Economy, Our Nation, Our Future
A History of American Strength, Exemplified by Connecticut
In the decades since the end of the second World War, the U.S. government has made incredibly visionary, strategic, and deeply impactful investments in American research through partnerships with the nation’s universities, funded primarily by vital federal agencies such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the National Science Foundation (NSF), and the Department of Defense, among many others.
The groundbreaking work being accomplished on university campuses across the nation, including here in Connecticut, has been the key driver in making the United States of America the preeminent global leader in science, technology, and health care research and innovation. No other nation in the world has been as successful as the U.S. in supporting and harnessing the enormous talents, capabilities, and achievements of university researchers over the last eight decades for the benefit of their people and place in the world. These investments have made American universities the envy of other nations and have helped the U.S. draw talent from all over the world.
Just as nearly every major aspect of life in the U.S. is impacted in a positive way by university research, nearly every aspect of life in Connecticut is touched by and benefits from the research taking place at UConn, UConn Health, and other Connecticut institutions thanks to federal and state support, private sector partners, and the extraordinary work of our faculty, staff, and students.
Federal agencies fund research at universities, which already have the necessary infrastructure, expertise, and workforce to conduct high-impact research, to advance science, health, and technologies that are critical to our future.
Why Fund Research Through Universities?
Rather than building and managing costly, standalone research facilities, federal agencies fund research and invest in universities, which already have the necessary infrastructure, expertise, and workforce to conduct high-impact research. The indirect costs associated with university research are reimbursements to support this research infrastructure and are competitive with, and in many cases significantly lower than, corporate research partners and national laboratories. This approach: (1) builds a skilled workforce – federal funding helps train the next generation of scientists and allows students to learn from leading experts; (2) maximizes existing resources – universities provide specialized labs, equipment, and research support at scale; and (3) ensures broad access to research – studies can be conducted across different locations and researchers collaborate across disciplines, reaching more participants efficiently.
Innovation in Health, Wellness, and Quality of Life in Connecticut and the Nation
University research has led to breakthroughs in cancer treatment, personalized medicine, Alzheimer’s research, autism interventions, infectious disease prevention, and more. The NIH currently supports more than $130 million in annual research expenditures at UConn and UConn Health.
Here are just a few examples of the research taking place at UConn and UConn Health right now in the field of human health and wellness:
- Treatments for leading causes of death and disability in the U.S., including cancer, obesity, Alzheimer’s disease, and substance abuse
- Improving physical and cognitive function in aging
- Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) technology for the diagnosis of a variety of diseases, including cardiovascular disease, cancer, and chronic kidney disease
- Increasing understanding of autism
- Understanding neural mechanisms for language and reading, including in dyslexia
- Understanding language acquisition in deaf children
- Home-based interventions to improve reading skills
- Prevention and care for HIV
- Suicide risk identification
- Understanding the impact of stress during pregnancy
- Mind-body interventions to improve emotional well-being
- Treatments for conditions impacting quality of life, such as chronic low back pain, bone and muscle injuries, and temporomandibular (jaw) disorders
- Treatments for rare diseases and genetic disorders with significant impact on health, including sickle cell disease, mitochondrial disorders, Rett syndrome, and Prader-Willi syndrome
- Prevention of emerging tickborne diseases
- Muscle and bone regeneration
- Monitoring and treating water quality
A significant loss of research funding would damage or derail many of these efforts and would be a dramatic setback when it comes to the health, wellness, and longevity of the American people, including here
in Connecticut.
Strengthening and Propelling the Economy
The benefits and reach of university research also extend to the nation’s economy, and to Connecticut’s.
Every dollar of NIH funding generates $2.56 in economic activity,1 and every $100 million of funding produces 76 patents,2 driving future innovation and industry growth. In FY 2024, NIH awarded $786.7 million in grant expenditures to Connecticut institutions, supporting 6,831 jobs in the state and generating $1.78 billion in economic activity in Connecticut.1
Connecticut’s communities and numerous businesses feel the economic impact of research and the funding that supports it, as researchers need to hire staff, purchase equipment, renovate spaces, and collaborate with private sector partners.
Major reductions in research funding would be a significant drain on our economy and diminish the future of our workforce.
1 United for Medical Research Report on NIH’s Role in Sustaining the U.S. Economy. 2025 Update. https://unitedformedicalresearch.org/annual-economic-report/
2 Manhattan Institute. Patents, Pasteur, and Productivity: A Model for Promoting Scientific and Economic Growth at the National Institutes of Health. 2017. https://www.manhattan-institute.org/html/patents-productivity-promoting-scientific-economic-growth-national-institutes-health-10329.html
Every dollar of NIH funding generates $2.56 in economic activity, and every $100 million of funding produces 76 patents, driving future innovation and industry growth.
National Security and Connecticut Industry
Connecticut is a hub for industries that are critical to our nation’s safety and security. Federal research and development investments into Connecticut’s defense, financial technologies, insurance, biotech, and pharmaceutical sectors have a direct impact on the ability of the U.S. to project peacekeeping power, enhance the security of important financial markets, and protect the health and wellness of our citizens.
UConn’s research strengths in advanced manufacturing, materials science, cybersecurity, AI, quantum science, and biomedical sciences have laid the foundation for positive and productive partnerships with numerous companies in these fields, contributing significantly to Connecticut’s success.
Federally funded research in support of the defense industry is especially important for Connecticut, which is home to major employers such as Pratt & Whitney, Electric Boat, and Sikorsky, and the vast network of Connecticut businesses that work with and support them. Research related to this field is vital to our national interest and is highly beneficial for our state, driving economic growth, creating high-paying jobs, and supporting the world-class faculty and students that make it possible.
American Global Competitiveness Depends on Research Strength
When it comes to funding research and innovation, America must aggressively compete with other nations throughout the world to advance and protect our status as an unparalleled global leader. Major reductions to research funding in the U.S. will not only harm the health of the American people, diminish science and technology advancements, and be a drain on our economy, but will also create opportunities for other nations to capitalize on losses in our research infrastructure. As American strength and prominence in science, technology, and health innovation declines, other nations will vault past us and assume the mantle of global leadership in high-value, high-impact research.
Making wise, substantial, and strategic investments in the research being conducted at American universities is among the best investments the United States — and Connecticut — can make.