NYC Gazette

The City University of New York (CUNY) reported a record $672 million in external funding for research and other sponsored programs in Fiscal Year 2024. This marks a 6% increase over the previous year, which was also a record high for CUNY’s Research Foundation (RFCUNY). Over the past decade, CUNY has increased external funding by more than 78%.

CUNY also noted an increase in expenditures on research and other sponsored activities, with external grant funds totaling $622 million in FY 2024. This represents an approximate 68% increase since 2014. Campuses are projecting an additional $50 million in research expenditures for FY 2024 once accounting is finalized.

“CUNY makes integral contributions to our communities through the strong public impact of thousands of faculty researchers and the many ways in which their work improves the quality of life for residents of New York and beyond,” said CUNY Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez. “CUNY’s record growth in funding from external sources, along with our rising expenditures for research and development, reflect the success of this critical enterprise, which creates knowledge and advances our progress in pursuit of solutions to the many pressing scientific and societal challenges we face.”

The announcement was made during a celebration marking the 10th anniversary of CUNY’s Advanced Science Research Center (ASRC), part of the CUNY Graduate Center located at The City College of New York's upper-Manhattan campus. Since its establishment, ASRC has attracted over $132 million in sponsored research funding.

The event featured remarks by CUNY professor Mandë Holford, who recently won the Pioneer Award from the National Institutes of Health and was named the inaugural Anne Welsh McNulty Chair of Science Innovation and Leadership at Hunter College. The keynote speaker was Dr. William G. Kaelin Jr., a Nobel laureate from Harvard Medical School.

“The increase in research and sponsored project expenditures is a direct result of the hard work of our outstanding CUNY faculty, staff and students,” said Rosemarie D. Wesson, CUNY associate vice chancellor and university vice provost for research.

Hector Cordero-Guzman, president of RFCUNY, highlighted that "the increase in awards under the Chancellor’s leadership has been the result of growing investments in CUNY’s research infrastructure combined with the creativity and ingenuity of our faculty."

Joshua C. Brumberg, president of the CUNY Graduate Center, remarked on ASRC's milestone anniversary as an opportunity to celebrate science research across CUNY campuses.

CUNY's strategic roadmap “CUNY Lifting New York” aims to increase total grant dollars awarded for research by 20% over seven years. The University is already ahead of pace to meet these goals according to data from RFCUNY.

Research at CUNY spans across various fields including life sciences, medicine, energy, environmental justice, climate resiliency, transportation, robotics, cybersecurity among others. These efforts provide experiential learning opportunities for students while strengthening their career prospects.

A notable contribution came from a $75 million gift by the Simons Foundation announced by Gov. Kathy Hochul as part of her Empire AI initiative. This donation will fund new faculty positions and create a Master’s program in computational science among other initiatives.

Founded in 1847 as America’s first free public institution of higher education, today CUNY serves over 233,000 students across its multiple campuses throughout New York City’s five boroughs.