Grant Funding Rises for Fifth Straight Year at Washington State University

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Washington State University saw its research expenditures grow for the fifth consecutive year, reaching $461.9 million in fiscal year 2025, a 14.5% increase over the previous year's total of $403.4 million. The university's research efforts span fields like cancer and brain disorder treatments, developing new wheat varieties, protecting the power grid, and pursuing sustainable fuel sources.

Why it matters

WSU's continued growth in research funding and activity highlights the university's role as a leading public research institution, harnessing science and knowledge to address critical local and global challenges in areas like public health, agriculture, and energy. The increase reflects WSU's strong internal commitment to research and its ability to secure significant external funding from federal agencies, state/local governments, nonprofits, and businesses.

The details

In 2025, more than half of WSU's $461.9 million in research expenditures, or $224 million, came from federal grants. Other funding sources included institutional spending ($90.5 million), state and local grants ($119.7 million), nonprofits ($12.4 million), and businesses ($12.8 million). WSU's research efforts span a wide range of fields, with life sciences (including agriculture, biology, and health sciences) making up the largest category at $251.9 million, followed by engineering ($66.6 million) and physical sciences ($39 million). The university's research enterprise employed a total of 4,338 people, including 1,228 researchers and 3,110 technicians and support staff.

• In fiscal year 2025, WSU's research expenditures reached $461.9 million.
• This marks the fifth consecutive year of growth in research investments at WSU.
• In 2024, WSU's research expenditures totaled $403.4 million, an increase of 6.5% over the previous year.

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