UC Davis researchers received $420.7 million in extramural funding in 2003-04.

The figure represents a slight decrease over the previous year's record total of $426.3 million. The decline reflects a reduction in state funding of $24.8 million, but was offset by increases in federal and business funding of $14 million and $11.7 million respectively.

"It is good news that our federal and business funding continue to increase. State funding is a particularly large component of our campus research portfolio, and this has made us vulnerable to cutbacks in state spending," said Vice Chancellor for Research Barry Klein.

"Hopefully, California's economic recovery will restore some of our cuts, and we remain optimistic about high-profile major research initiatives that are under way, several of which have been submitted for support," he said.

Federal and state agencies remain the primary sponsors of research, accounting for over 71 percent of funds received. However, non-state and non-federal sources contributed a record $121 million.

The federal government provided 1,095 research awards, with almost half of that number, 448 awards totalling $140.2 million, from the Department of Health and Human Services.

The National Science Foundation provided the next largest source of federal funds, awarding $45 million in 290 grants. Other federal agencies providing funding include the U.S. departments of: Agriculture ($18.2 million), Energy ($13.7 million), Defense ($10 million), State ($3.5 million), Education ($3.2 million), and Interior ($3.2 million).

The School of Medicine, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, and the School of Veterinary Medicine were the top three funding recipients (as shown in the breakdown of the funding distribution above right).

The strengths of campus research programs are also evident in the latest National Science Foundation rankings for research expenditures, where UC Davis placed 14th overall in total research and development expenditures for fiscal year 2002-03, moving up one place from the previous year.

Individual NSF categories where the campus ranked exceptionally well include: first in agriculture; third in non-federal funding expenditures; seventh in biological sciences; 13th in life sciences, including medicine, agriculture and biological sciences.

For more details, see http://research.ucdavis.edu.

— By Andy Fell and Carolyn Sawai