Feb. 21, 2023 — Far exceeding its previous record, the University of Florida College of Medicine obtained record funding from the National Institutes of Health in 2022, ranking 22nd among public institutions.

NIH funding at the UF College of Medicine increased about 28% between 2021 and 2022, to nearly $155 million, according to rankings published by the Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research in February. The college ranked 43rd nationally in funding, rising two spots from its 2021 rank. It also received more NIH funding in 2022 than any other public medical school in Florida.

“This significant increase in the UF College of Medicine’s NIH funding is a testament to the growth of our research enterprise and our faculty’s continued commitment to advancing science and conducting novel research,” said Colleen Koch, M.D., M.S., M.B.A., dean of the College of Medicine.

The Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research rankings, published annually, are derived from data compiled and released by the NIH shortly after the end of the federal fiscal year.

Azra Bihorac, M.D., M.S., the senior associate dean for research affairs at the College of Medicine, said the institution’s recent acquisitions and investment in artificial intelligence, such as new courses that teach the fundamentals of AI to researchers and clinicians, enabled the college to rise in the rankings.

“In the past year, research at the UF College of Medicine has expanded its reach to include every corner of the state, from Gainesville and Jacksonville to Central Florida and South Florida at the Herbert Wertheim UF Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation & Technology,” Bihorac said. “Our college is home to world-class researchers and physician-scientists who are devoted to improving the lives of our patients and communities. Our continued rise in rankings is a reflection of their efforts.”

Eight specialties from nine departments at the College of Medicine ranked in the top 20 nationally: molecular genetics and microbiology (under the genetics category), neuroscience and neurology (combined in the neurosciences category), neurosurgery, pharmacology and therapeutics, physiology and aging, emergency medicine, pathology and surgery.

The department of surgery and department of physiology and aging saw the greatest increase over their 2021 rankings, both jumping 18 spots overall. The department of surgery’s 2022 rank is fourth overall and second among public institutions, while the department of physiology and aging is ranked 30th overall and 12th among public universities.

Six college departments ranked in the top 5 nationally and/or among public institutions: molecular genetics and microbiology, neuroscience, neurology, emergency medicine, neurosurgery and surgery.

View a list of all eight UF College of Medicine specialties that ranked in the top 20 overall and/or among public universities: