After a record year for total research expenditures in fiscal year 2018 (FY18), the first quarter of fiscal year 2019 (Q1 FY19), looks strong. The current estimate of the FY19 Total Research Expenditures (TREs) is $50 million, an increase of 16% over the first quarter of fiscal year 2018 (FY18).  This increase is based on the efforts of our many talented faculty and our internal efforts to accurately capture the institutional contributions to research.
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Proposal Submissions

In the fiscal year 2018 (FY18) the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UT) submitted 1,764 proposals representing a 2% increase over the number of proposals submitted in the previous fiscal year (FY17) and a 3% increase above the five-year average number of proposals submitted in the last five fiscal years (FY14-FY18). The total dollar value of the submitted proposals was $611 million signifying a 9% increase over the amount requested in FY17.

Several colleges have contributed to the increase in the total requested amount. College of Nursing (Nur) requested the largest amount in its history ($16 million) and more than doubled the amount it requested in FY17 reflecting 122% increase in FY18. Other colleges that displayed slight to significant increases in FY18 versus FY17 amounts were College of Architecture and Design (A&D) with 46% increase, A&S – 2% increase, College of Communication and Information (C&I) – 105% increase, TCE – 12% increase, RCI- 54% increase, and the UT Space Institute (UTSI) – 12% increase.

Looking at the colleges and centers, Tickle College of Engineering (TCE) requested the largest share – 40% of the total proposal amount – followed by the College of Arts and Sciences (A&S) and Research Centers and Institutes (RCI) both requesting 23% each.

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The research enterprise at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, achieved significant increases in several performance metrics in the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2017. Award dollars increased by 8 percent over FY16 and total research expenditures (TREs) increased by 11 percent.

The TREs in FY17 were $203 million, the largest amount in UT’s history. This benchmark amount reflects increases in institutional research funds, federal research expenditures (FREs), and UT’s business enterprise.

UT’s largest federal funder in FY17 was the Department of Energy, largely due to participation in IACMI–The Composites Institute. IACMI accounted for $21.6 million of the $22 million cost share reported by the UT Research Foundation and is the primary source of the increase in FY17 TREs.
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The Office of Research and Engagement welcomed Victor McCrary as the new Vice Chancellor for Research in March. We look forward to his leadership in guiding UT Knoxville from research excellence to preeminence.

In the first three quarters of fiscal year 2018 (FY18), cumulative totals showed a six percent decrease in the total number of proposals submitted and a six percent increase in the amount of funding requested when compared to the first three quarters of the fiscal year 2017 (FY17). The average amount requested on a per proposal basis was roughly $353K versus $314K in FY17.
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The University of Tennessee, Knoxville recorded increases across several metrics in the second quarter of fiscal year 2018 (Q2 FY18). Proposal dollars requested remained on a steady rise, awarded dollars improved since the first quarter, and dollars spent on Research and Development (R&D) exceeded expectations.

While the total number of proposals submitted in the first two quarters of FY18 is slightly down (a 6 percent decrease), the total amount requested ($328 million) represents a bold increase of 21 percent when compared to the first two quarters of FY17 (table 1, fig. 1 and fig.2). This increase is contributed to the stable positive trend demonstrated by the Tickle College of Engineering (TCE) and to the significant increases in the proposal amounts requested by the College of Nursing, and Research Centers and Institutes in Q1-Q2 FY18 (fig.9). In addition, there were 45 proposals submitted requesting amounts of $1 million or larger in the first two quarters of FY18. The total amount requested by these 45 proposals was $174 million. Thirty-six of these proposals aim to perform basic research, while the rest would provide public service.
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