
2020 Annual Report

UH Research and Innovation excels, swiftly reopening laboratories after a three-week shutdown during the pandemic peak. Our resilience shines as we broke the $200 million research expenditure milestone, submitting over 1200 proposals and securing 7% more than in 2019. Recent data reveals UH surpassing Texas Tech in research expenditure, climbing from 123 to 117 in national rankings. While this is promising, we are just getting started. With a comprehensive strategy in place, our aim is to reach the top 50 public universities. Join us as we propel research and innovation to new heights of preeminence. Explore this report and spread the word—UH's best days lie ahead.
Amr Elnashai, FREng
VP for Research
Amr Elnashai, FREng
VP for Research
Research By The Numbers
Although the University research operations were restricted the last quarter of fiscal year 2020 due to the pandemic and the economic shutdown, UH experienced a rise in research expenditures for the year. UH hit $79 million in federal research expenditures, the highest number on record. The overall rise in research expenditures, along with the historic high in federal expenditures, shows the continued push of UH faculty to expand and grow the research enterprise.
- $201MResearch Expenditures
- $756MTotal Funds Requested
- $116MTotal Projected Award Amount
- 1,201Proposals Submitted
- 28%Proposals Awarded
- 339Number of Awards Received
Innovation By The Numbers
UH licensing income continues to grow, ending at $59 million for fiscal year 2020. A one-time legal settlement of nearly $15 million in fiscal year 2019 caused the licensing income to spike, so once again, UH saw a historical high for this measure. The number of patents earned by UH inventors tied the all-time high at 40 for fiscal year 2020, the same number earned the previous year. UH hit the second-highest year for disclosures, a 50% rise from a decade ago.
- $59M Licensing Income
- 72Disclosures
- 40Patents
2020: Year In Review
Four UH Faculty Members Elected to National Academy of Inventors
Two UH Chemists Named 2020 Sloan Research Fellows
Baylor College of Medicine and the University of Houston Announce Collaborative Grant Awardees
UH Engineer Awarded Prestigious Guggenheim Fellowship
UH Ranks among Top 100 Global Universities for Patents
More, Faster, Better – UH Unveils New Supercomputer
Subsea Systems Institute Receives $9.5 Million for Research, Economic Development
New National Centers Launch at UH
A surge of funding in 2020 established three new national centers. The Center for Success of English Learners and the HEALTH Center for Addictions Research and Cancer Prevention launched at UH. The Center for Integrated Catalysis launched as a collaborative effort between four institutions.