BY HEATHER NOEL

It’s been another historic year for research as UNT continues its climb as a Carnegie-ranked Tier One research university. From artificial intelligence to biomedical engineering to integrated and intelligent mobility systems, UNT is a catalyst for creativity, fueling progress, workforce development, innovation and entrepreneurship for the North Texas region and beyond.

In fiscal year 2023, UNT garnered its highest-ever total of sponsored project awards with more than $75 million in funding from top national agencies such as the U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Department of Education, National Institutes of Health and National Science Foundation. As an inaugural recipient of awards from the NSF’s Regional Innovation Engines program, as well as NASA’s initiative to support Minority-Serving Institutions in their work to further strengthen academic offerings in STEM, UNT is bolstering its national reputation in research.

The university forged collaborations across the region, state and nation including an NSF-funded effort to develop new vehicle technologies, a Department of Energy consortium on emerging semiconductors and technologies and workforce-focused initiatives to address training gaps in health care and education as well as improve employment opportunities for people with disabilities. Faculty and students have earned prestigious recognitions — from Fulbright awards to early career and student researcher awards from national agencies. More than 60 faculty members were named as the world’s most cited researchers, and UNT’s Department of Political Science was ranked among the nation’s top research-producing departments.

“Our researchers across disciplines are making tremendous strides in their fields, and this historic success is a testament to their hard work, dedication and persistence,” says Pamela Padilla, UNT vice president for research and innovation. “As we look toward the future, we’ll focus on growing our research capacity, expanding opportunities for student researchers and ensuring our scholars have the support they need to make a difference with their work.”