Pitt maintained a top 20 ranking in overall research expenditures among American institutions.
In the latest National Science Foundation Higher Education and Research Development Survey, Pitt ranked No. 12 in federally financed research expenditures. For total research expenditures, Pitt came 17th among other top research universities, including Johns Hopkins University, University of Pennsylvania and Stanford University.
Pitt’s expenditures have increased by 30% in the last five years, according to the annual research report. These increases reflect the institution’s researchers’ success in obtaining funding.
With last year’s proposed federal funding cuts for research budgets and pauses on funding disbursement, researchers faced cancellations and uncertainties for research financing. Following legislation approved by Congress on Jan. 20, 2026, federal funding for research budgets increased funding for basic research by 2% in contrast to prior proposed cuts.
According to Rob Rutenbar, senior vice chancellor for research, Pitt researchers and scholars made advancements in fields of neuroscience, agriculture, engineering, psychology, artificial intelligence and many more this past year.
“Despite the uncertainties of the past year, the University of Pittsburgh has continued to far exceed expectations in research and funding success,” Rutenbar said.
Anna Marsland, professor of psychology, explained how she writes grants to apply for funding from funding institutions such as the NIH. If approved, the NIH provides the University with funding for the researchers to access.
“The fact that we’re in the top 20 ranking really talks about our ability to bring research funding in,” Marsland said. “This means that we’re really conducting a lot of great research at Pitt.”
Marsland said federal funding covers expenses of research, including buying and maintaining specialized equipment and paying for staff.
“There’s a lot of people involved behind the scenes in making an effective research environment,” Marsland said.
Marsland highlighted Pitt’s role as an “outstanding” research institution by providing opportunities for training at all levels of research, from undergraduate to post-doctoral programs.
“[Pitt] offers the opportunity for trainees at all levels to participate in research and learn so that they can develop those skills for themselves,” Marsland said.
Rebecca Bhik-Ghanie, a third-year Ph.D. student in the Center for Neuroscience, said the openness for collaboration and unique resources were what motivated her to come to Pitt for her graduate degree. Bhik-Ghanie currently researches the role of neuromodulators in cognitive behaviors in non-human primate models at the Silva Lab.
“There’s so much crosstalk between faculty and institutions [at Pitt] and a willingness to share resources and tackle questions together,” Bhik-Ghanie said. “This brings together the brightest minds in the specific niches of work that they do which contributes heavily to why our research program — and therefore funding — is so robust.”
Bhik-Ghanie said the Silva Lab and Pitt maintained funding success despite decreases in funding and grant awards in the past year.
“[Our lab is] constantly trying to get ahead of the heightened competition surrounding grant funding,” Bhik-Ghanie said. “That has put us in a pretty good position and the University of Pittsburgh has been doing a great job historically when it comes to receiving funding for grants.”
According to Josh Cannon, director of research in the Frederick Honors College, more funding generally correlates with a greater ability to develop significant innovations and resources.
“Research means more innovations, which means longer, healthier and better lives — and not just for the city of Pittsburgh, but potentially for the entire world,” Cannon said.
Cannon said that with funding changes on the federal government level, research opportunities — such as internships and research center programs — have, from his perspective, become more flexible so students can continue conducting research.
“From my position at the Fredericks Honors College, I see that the number of research opportunities continues to grow,” Cannon said. “Research is the hands-on application of what you are doing in the classroom. There’s a lot of value in doing research.”
Kyaien Conner, director of the Center on Race and Social Problems and professor in the School of Social Work, emphasized the importance of research in identifying and solving worldly problems.
“Research is essential because it allows us to identify problems, innovate solutions and then rigorously evaluate what actually works and for whom, when and in what context,” Conner said.
Conner studies the development, implementation and evaluation of culturally responsive and community-defined interventions for mental health, with a specialization in communities of color.
“Research provides the evidence basis that really ensures our interventions are effective, ethical, and responsive to the diverse needs of individuals, families and the communities that we serve,” Conner said.
Conner said research in clinical social work involves testing, refining and adapting interventions for different populations.
“Without this research, practitioners would be forced to rely on intuition rather than evidence, limiting our ability to help people,” Conner said. “With rigorous research, we’re building the tools necessary to transform systems, policies and practices, and ultimately create a more just, effective and accessible network of health and social services.”
Research is expensive and resource-intense, according to Conner. She said some of the largest expenditures in her field are on personnel, including research coordinators, analysts, specialized staff and student researchers.
“Transformative research can’t happen in isolation,” Conner said. “Research expenditures end up reflecting the level of rigor, partnership and ethical responsibility that’s required to do meaningful and high-impact science.”
Conner said Pitt provides a “rigorous, collaborative and deeply supportive” place for research.
“[People] are always looking for opportunities to collaborate and work together, which I think only strengthens the success of our research teams and the work that comes out of the institution,” Conner said.