News Release

April 2, 2025 (Salt Lake City) – States and the federal government share a vital economic relationship. This data summary, the ninth in a series on state and federal economic linkages from the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute, presents the Utah-federal government nexus for research funding.

“Utah’s federal research funding hit a record high in FY 2023,” said Andrea Brandley, senior education analyst at the Gardner Institute. “These investments drive new discoveries, innovations, startups, and technological advancements that strengthen the economy and improve life quality.”

Key findings from the summary include the following:

Size and Composition – Utah received $4.4 billion in federal research and development (R&D) funding in FY 2023. About 80% of this amount went to private businesses, 10% to higher education, and 9% to federal agencies within the state. Nonprofit organizations and state and local governments received less than 1% of total federal R&D funding.

Funding Sources – More than 85% of Utah’s federal research funding came from the U.S. Department of Defense, nearly 7% from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (including the National Institutes of Health), and the remaining 8% from other federal agencies.

Research Universities – Utah’s R1 public research universities, the University of Utah and Utah State University, receive approximately 95% of the federal R&D funding directed to higher education, with federal sources accounting for more than half of their research funding in FY 2023.

Location – Federal research and development funds support entities throughout Utah. Over 100 entities across 41 cities and 11 counties received funding between FY 2020 and FY 2024. These recipients then spend those research dollars on personnel costs, equipment, infrastructure, and other research support services throughout Utah.

The complete data summary is available online.

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