This story originally appeared in the Lincoln Journal Star on November 2, 2026
The University of Nebraska at Omaha reported a record-breaking $42.5 million in research funding for the 2025-26 year.
Last year’s total is the fourth straight year UNO has exceeded $40 million in grant awards. It breaks the previous record of $42 million set in 2022-23.
“Every dollar of research funding represents an opportunity to solve a problem, improve lives and make a meaningful difference in the community we serve,” UNO Chancellor Joanne Li said.
UNO received grant awards from 94 unique sponsors, including 14 federal agencies and eight different state agencies.
The funding allowed for UNO’s Office of Research and Creative Activity, or ORCA, to award 248 student awards totaling more than $746,000.
Phil He, UNO senior vice chancellor for academic affairs, said community-engaged research is “a full-contact team sport.”
“It takes passionate, driven individuals working together as a unit, challenging one another and combining their expertise to turn the pursuit of knowledge into discoveries that benefit society,” He said. “The success we’re seeing at UNO speaks to the talent of our researchers, the strength of our partnerships and a shared determination to put our knowledge to work.”
UNO received $8 million from the National Science Foundation to establish the Nebraska Center for 3D Innovation, a new hub for research, education and industry partnerships for developing 3D-printed technology for healthcare.
Researchers also received an NSF grant to develop methods for protecting drones from cyberattacks, as well as nearly $1 million from the Nebraska Department of Transportation Highway Safety to study how to make traffic stops safer for all.
Sara Myers, UNO’s associate vice chancellor for research and creative activity, said the fourth straight year exceeding $40 million in research funding demonstrates “sustainable momentum” at the metropolitan campus.
“Our faculty are establishing this university as a regional and national leader in community-engaged research and we’re creating the foundation for even greater success in the years ahead,” Myers said.