November 2026 – Reports produced by the Institute for Research on Innovation & Science (IRIS) showed that research-related spending by member universities in fiscal year 2025 fueled the national innovation economy, activated industry partnerships, and developed pipelines of skilled talent.
The aggregate All IRIS reports include data from 28 universities that submitted administrative data on their research award expenditures. The data reveal the ripple effect of research activity by following how research funding flows into the economy as universities purchase supplies, grant subcontracts, and employ research teams.
According to the reports, research-related spending by IRIS member universities exceeded $3.4 billion during fiscal year 2025. Expenditures included spending on the products, services, and subcontracts necessary for research projects and funded by federal and non-federal awards. The reports provided insight into the breadth of the national innovation economy:
- More than 32,600 vendors and subcontractors, including nearly 7,800 small businesses, contributed goods and services to research projects
- Spending activity occurred in 2,030 counties and all 435 congressional districts
- The top industry sectors included Health Care and Social Assistance; Educational Services; Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services; Manufacturing; and Wholesale Trade
In addition to fueling business activity, research funding created opportunities for hands-on experience and career development. During fiscal year 2025, federal and non-federal research awards supported the wages of 132,779 individuals. Of those positions, 43% were held by students, 30% by staff, and 6.5% by postdoctoral fellows. Faculty made up 20.5% of funded employees.
Federal agencies were at the center of this career development. Funding from grants by the National Institutes of Health supported the largest number of research employees (45,400), followed by the National Science Foundation (28,800), and the Department of Defense (10,900).
IRIS also reported on the workforce outcomes of former research-funded employees who have since left the university and are currently employed in the U.S. Drawing on data from 385,400 employees funded by research grants between 2002 and 2025, IRIS reports showed that research-funded employees brought their skills and experience to key industries throughout the country:
- The top states for employees with research experience include Michigan (39,700), California (37,400), and New York (30,900)
- Education, health care, and information technology sectors were among the top employment industries
“Discoveries and new technologies take time, but research investments support people and businesses every day,” said IRIS Executive Director Jason Owen-Smith. “IRIS provides universities with the data and tools to understand and communicate the public value of their research enterprise, and our aggregate reports bring those stories together to highlight research universities’ collective impact. As the country considers how to prioritize U.S. leadership in innovation, these reports provide a framework to measure how research activity connects and sustains our communities, economy, and workforce.”
Interactive and PDF versions of the All IRIS reports can be viewed online at https://iris.isr.umich.edu/membership/reports-and-products/.
About the Institute for Research on Innovation & Science (IRIS)
IRIS is a consortium of research universities using administrative data to understand, explain, and improve higher education and research. Founded in 2015, IRIS is anchored by an IRB-approved data repository hosted at the University of Michigan’s Institute for Social Research. IRIS reports provide unique insights into the impact of research-related spending on career outcomes, businesses, and industries. The 2024 IRIS UMETRICS Dataset is available for researchers and contains data from more than 100 campuses nationwide. Learn more about IRIS at iris.isr.umich.edu.
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