Feinberg principal investigators secured $706 million in research funding and awards during the 2022-23 fiscal year, which is a nearly nine percent increase over the previous year, and the largest amount in the school’s history. More than 70 percent of Northwestern University’s total research funding dollars come from Feinberg; this year the University received more than $1 billion in research funding.
The all-time high research funding supports research projects with transformative potential in basic science, clinical research and translational developments. In the last academic year, Feinberg faculty members published 328 research articles in the most prominent and prestigious journals, an increase of 257 percent from 2011.
Recent published breakthroughs from Feinberg investigators included discovering why some cells become resistant to cancer therapies; explaining how mitochondria regulate cellular signaling for proper lung development; uncovering the the molecular underpinnings of inflammation; and developing new, targeted cancer treatments.
“Due to the creativity and hard work of our faculty we had another stellar year of continued growth and funding,” said Rex Chisholm, PhD, vice dean for scientific affairs and graduate education and the Adam and Richard T. Lind Professor of Medical Genetics. “Our year-over-year growth is quite remarkable, and we are excited to see this funded research come to fruition in laboratories and eventually in clinical spaces.”
“This incredible milestone speaks to the work of our faculty and their dedication to improving human health,” said Eric G. Neilson, MD, vice president for medical affairs and Lewis Landsberg Dean. “I want to extend my gratitude to the faculty, staff, students and trainees who are passionately pursuing research in their fields for the betterment of all humankind and contributing to this record-breaking funding year.”
Roughly 28 percent of awarded funds were allocated towards basic science department funding and 72 percent towards clinical department funding. Of the total, $477 million was awarded from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), a more than six percent increase in funding from the NIH over the previous fiscal year. Individual grant awards included 73 individual research fellowships (F awards), 66 career development awards (K awards) and 30 training grants (T awards).
Over the last 11 years, Feinberg’s NIH portfolio has grown by 129 percent, from $208 million to $477 million per year. At the same time, the medical school’s overall research portfolio has grown by 124 percent.
Approximately 6,658 clinical trials and research studies were conducted at Feinberg in the 2022-2023 academic year, led by 694 principal investigators. Additionally, a total of 40 patents and six new start-up companies were established within the last fiscal year alone.
