Hawai‘i's congressional delegation and Governor Josh Green were on hand to cheer as the University of Hawai‘i announced its fourth consecutive year of record extramural funding. FY2025 saw a 19 percent increase to $734 million, with more than two thirds of that secured by UH Manoa, the UH System's flagship research campus and ARCS Honolulu Chapter's partner university. Green called UH "a critical driver of innovation, health, and economic resilience,” that plays an essential role in tackling pressing issues from health equity to climate resilience.
“The dedication and commitment from our faculty, staff, and students are what drives the UH research enterprise to be a major contributor to the well-being of our state, the nation, and the world,” said UH Mānoa Interim Provost Vassilis L. Syrmos. University of Hawaiʻi Economic Research Organization data for 2021 show that UH's $477 million in research-related expenditures generated $734.8 million in business sales, $236.9 million in employee earnings, and $41.2 million in state tax revenue while supporting an estimated 5,428 jobs.
Still, UH President Wendy Hensel warns that proposed federal budget cuts to major research funders like the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health, along with widespread federal staffing reductions, create challenges for the year ahead. As of August 5, 66 grants totaling more than $89 million had been terminated at UH due to shifting federal priorities.
