Research & Innovation Dashboard

The University of Colorado Boulder is focused on creating global impact by cultivating and supporting collaboration, transformation and leadership. At the heart of this focus are the diverse contributions of a wide range of world-class experts, working together to accelerate ideas throughout the entire innovation lifecycle.

  

Research Funding

 Total research fundingFederal fundingPhilanthropic funding
2020$614M$457M$67M
2019$631M$446M$90M
2018$511M$369MN/A
2017$507M$354MN/A
2016$437M$332MN/A

Research Development

 Workshop participantsProposal assistsRIO seed grant fundingSeed grants awardedSeed grants submitted
202034168$1.1M25109
201928530$1.2M25120
201832313$798K1656
201718918$1.1M23112
201633N/A$1.0M2396

 

  

Innovation & Entrepreneurship

 NVC teamsNVC funding awarded
2020141$159K
2019120$180K
2018113$110K
201774$20K
201634$26K

Research Commercialization

 License/option agreementsStartups launchedInventions 
disclosed		Capital raised by startupsLVC dollars
20205912172$159M$867K
2019466144$147M$868K
2018527187$318M$971K
2017499124$185M$1.1M
201633699$317M$901K

   Research & Innovation Numbers by Category

Total Research Funding, 2016–2020

Total Research Funding 2016-2020

 

  

$ 614  million

total research funding in 2020

$ 457 million

federal funding in 2020

$ 67 million

philanthropic funding in 2020

 

2016: $437M, ​2017: $507M, 2018: $511M, ​2019: $631M, 2020: $614M

   Research Funding Sources in 2020 

CU Boulder has continued to grow and sustain its research and creative works portfolio as demonstrated by three consecutive years of over half-billion dollars in sponsored projects funding and nearing $500 million in expenditures for fiscal year (FY) 2019.

  • Total research funding experienced a record high of $630 million in FY2019, with significant growth in federal funding and gifts supporting research through the CU Foundation Boulder campus.
  • Solid growth in sponsored projects starts with over $1.4 billion dollars submitted in proposed projects for FY2019. In the second full year of capturing service activities, 80 contracts accounted for nearly $5 million. 
  • Federal agency funding continues to hold strong along with greater support coming through projects with industry, other universities, international partners and gift support of research from foundations and private entities. 

  Recent Trends in Research Funding

Learn more about research development at CU Boulder:  colorado.edu/researchinnovation/rd

   Research Development

The Research Development team (part of CU Boulder's Research & Innovation Office) helps faculty by sponsoring and identifying funding opportunities, developing research capacity among investigators, providing support for proposal development and facilitating multidisciplinary collaborations. 

  • Research Development offers faculty development programs and research funding workshops to help faculty successfully navigate the process of applying for awards and grants.
  • The Principal Investigator (PI) Academy is designed to orient early career, tenure-track faculty to CU Boulder’s research community and resources.
  • Research & Innovation Office Faculty Fellows is a campus-wide leadership program that supports rising faculty interested in furthering their collaborative skills.

  Recent Trends in Research Development

Learn more about faculty development at CU Boulder:  colorado.edu/researchinnovation/facultydev

  Innovation & Entrepreneurship

Cultivating Entrepreneurship

Innovation & Entrepreneurship helps our 35,530 students, 4,400 faculty and 5,050 staff understand what it means to be an entrepreneur and innovator. We connect, elevate and grow CU Boulder’s vast innovation and entrepreneurial resources to inspire and turn ideas to impact.

  • Makerspaces and centers across campus are available to faculty, staff, students and the local community to use for prototyping, co-working, events and more.
  • New Venture Challenge (NVC) is a year-round program and competition that connects the CU Boulder campus with the Boulder community to develop and fund innovative and entrepreneurial ideas.
  • CU Boulder's Entrepreneurial Mentor Network supports innovative activity on campus led by students, faculty and staff by pairing them with experienced professionals to help them on their journey.

  Recent Trends in Innovation & Entrepreneurship

Learn more about entrepreneurship at CU Boulder:    colorado.edu/innovate

   Research Commercialization

Launching Innovations

Set in the heart of our university’s bold, innovative community of scholars and learners, Venture Partners at CU Boulder brings the university's world-class researchers together with the business, startup and entrepreneurial communities to translate groundbreaking solutions into economic and social impact.

  • Venture Partners prepares campus innovators to bring technologies and ideas to market through IP and licensing consultation, startup formation and support, early-stage funding and more. 

  • CU Boulder commercializations had a $1.9 billion impact on the national economy and a $1.2 billion impact on the statewide economy from 2014-2018.

  • Venture Partners works closely with multiple industry-facing units on CU’s four campuses and commercialization services throughout Colorado’s front range community.

  Recent Trends in Launching Innovations

Learn more about commercialization at CU Boulder:  colorado.edu/venturepartners

Questions?

Please contact    rio@colorado.edu. 

  Search Faculty Experts 

Research and expertise across CU Boulder.

   

  Research Institutes 

Our 12 research institutes conduct more than half of
the sponsored research at CU Boulder.

  Research Centers 

More than 75 research centers span the campus,
covering a broad range of topics.

  Research Computing 

A carefully integrated cyberinfrastructure supports CU Boulder research.