As global R&D investment accelerates, Utah’s research universities play a critical role in economic resilience, innovation, and long-term prosperity.

Written by Erin Rothwell PhD, Vice President for Research, University of Utah

Global Competition and America’s Research Strength

Around the world, nations are increasing investment in research and development as a way to navigate economic uncertainty, technological change, and complex societal challenges. Recent analyses of global R&D spending illustrate a clear reality: sustained research capacity is closely tied to economic resilience, technological readiness, and long-term prosperity.

In the United States, this global environment is not met through a single centralized system, but through a diverse network of public and private research universities. This decentralized, place-based model has long been one of America’s strengths. It allows research to respond not only to national priorities, but to regional needs — aligning discovery, talent development, and economic growth.

In Utah, that strength is shared across a growing higher education ecosystem. Colleges and universities across the state contribute to workforce preparation, regional vitality, and knowledge creation, each in distinct and complementary ways. Within this ecosystem, the University of Utah plays a role in anchoring large-scale research activity that supports and amplifies these broader efforts.

The Enduring Role of Research Across Disciplines

Research today unfolds in a fast-paced world — shaped by accelerating technologies, rapid decision-making, and constant change. Yet some of the most valuable contributions researchers make come from slowing down: observing carefully, asking rigorous questions, and creating space for discovery. Across disciplines, researchers serve as steady problem-solvers — helping society understand complexity, weigh consequences, and develop solutions that endure.

This work spans the full breadth of the university. In science, engineering, and medicine, research drives advances in health, computing, energy, and infrastructure. In the arts, humanities, and social sciences, research deepens our understanding of human behavior, ethics, culture, communication, and policy — insights that are essential to ensuring that technological and economic progress truly serves people and communities. Together, these disciplines shape not only what we build, but how we live with what we build.

At the University of Utah, the scale of research activity reflects both opportunity and responsibility. In FY25 alone, university researchers submitted nearly 3,700 proposals, representing more than $3.2 billion in requested research activity. That effort translated into nearly $782 million in awards from federal agencies, industry partners, and foundations — a signal of confidence in Utah’s research capacity and its relevance to national needs.

From Discovery to Public Impact

Capacity, however, is not measured by funding alone. It is also reflected in what happens next.

Not all research begins with a product or solution in mind. Much of it starts by expanding knowledge — learning something new, testing an idea, or seeing a problem more clearly. We don’t always know where that kind of discovery will lead, and that uncertainty is part of what makes research valuable. In FY25, University of Utah researchers submitted 542 invention disclosures, which mark moments when research turns outward — when new knowledge, whether curiosity-driven or purpose-built, becomes something others can use, build on, or benefit from. At this scale, disclosures signal not isolated breakthroughs, but a sustained, campus-wide capacity for innovation and translation.

Programs like High Tech West help move promising ideas toward application. One recent example is FrostByte Defense Technologies, a startup developing wearable technology designed to prevent frostbite for people working or recreating in extreme cold environments. Emerging from a university research collaboration and competition, the technology illustrates how early-stage ideas can evolve into practical tools with real-world relevance.

From these disclosures flow patents, partnerships, and new companies. The University of Utah is consistently recognized among the nation’s top universities for utility patents, including repeated placement on the National Academy of Inventors’ Top 100 list.

Patents matter not as an end in themselves, but because they allow discoveries to move responsibly into use. They protect ideas so they can be shared with industry, investors, and collaborators — ensuring that publicly supported research generates public benefit while enabling real-world application.

This research-to-impact pipeline is visible in company formation as well. In FY26 year-to-date, nine startups have launched from University of Utah research, with 31 more in the pipeline. This steady flow reflects an innovation ecosystem designed for long-term value creation — one that prioritizes durability and relevance over short-term wins.

Why Ecosystems Matter — for Utah and Beyond

Analyses such as the Australian Strategic Policy Institute’s Critical Technology Tracker reinforce the importance of this kind of ecosystem. Across advanced economies, leadership in emerging technologies consistently follows places where discovery, talent development, and translation are tightly connected.

For Utah, the lesson is not about global competition for its own sake. It is about ensuring that our state continues to benefit from the research-driven model that has long supported American innovation and prosperity — a model rooted in universities that educate students, generate knowledge, and apply insight to real-world challenges.

The economic impact of this work is substantial. University-related research activity contributes more than $1.6 billion annually to Utah’s economy and supports over 10,000 jobs statewide. Just as importantly, it prepares graduates to contribute meaningfully to the state they call home. Surveys of University of Utah alumni show strong satisfaction with their education and a clear sense that it prepared them to succeed and contribute in their careers. At the same time, broader public perception of higher education — in Utah and nationally — reflects uncertainty about value and relevance.

This gap is not a failure of impact, but of visibility. Research activity — from invention disclosures to patents to startups — represents one of the clearest ways universities translate public investment into tangible outcomes. Making that connection clearer is essential to sustaining trust and understanding.

A Strategic Moment for Higher Education

The University of Utah’s VPR Strategic Plan reflects this moment plainly: now is the time to lean into American higher education and research. Doing so strengthens not just one institution, but an entire statewide ecosystem — multiplying federal and private investment, supporting students and faculty across disciplines, and reinforcing Utah’s ability to adapt in a rapidly changing world.

The takeaway is straightforward. Research is not a luxury, nor is it disconnected from everyday life. It is a long-term public good that supports economic vitality, informed decision-making, workforce readiness, and cultural understanding. Continued, collaborative investment in Utah’s research universities ensures that discovery, talent, and opportunity remain rooted here — serving Utah today while preparing for what comes next.