Binghamton University exceeded $100 million in research spending in the 2025-26 academic year.

This milestone marks the first time in the University’s history that research spending has reached nine figures. Expenditures rose about 18 percent to a total of $103,261,584, while committed funds, which are saved for future research, reached $89.2 million during the fiscal year ending in June.

“The Division of Research is excited about the prominent role for research and scholarship in the University strategic plan,” said Sheena Murphy, vice president for research at BU. “The research success demonstrated by this new funding milestone lays a strong foundation for future growth.”

Energy and materials science now represent the largest share of expenditures at 42 percent of all research funding, largely driven by equipment for the new Battery-NY facility in Johnson City. Healthcare makes up 21 percent of the expenditures, followed by education, training and student support at 13 percent, while electronics packaging and systems science represents 10 percent.

Recent federal grants include $5 million from the Department of Energy for energy storage, $2.5 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for an avian flu vaccine and $2.75 million from the National Institutes of Health for cancer treatment research.

“The way I see it, it’s kind of like investing early,” wrote Lukas Tsao, a sophomore majoring in accounting. “You’re not going to see a huge payoff right away, but it compounds. More research means a better reputation, which means better professors want to come here, better students apply, and more companies pay attention to Binghamton. Then that brings in even more funding, and it just keeps building on itself.”

Most of the money spent on research is not from the University’s own budget, with about two-thirds from federal grants, 18 percent from state and local governments, 11 percent from research institutions and hospitals and 4 percent from industry.

Research on Binghamton’s campus spans a plethora of fields. Projects in the last year have included research on the effects of “study drugs” by the Binghamton Student Managed Adderall Research Team and research by the Human Rights Institute on women peacebuilders exiled from their home countries.

“Research can lead to important discoveries, especially in health care, and it’s great to see Binghamton growing in that area,” wrote Aoife Garvey, a sophomore majoring in nursing, in an email to Pipe Dream. “However, I’d like to see firsthand how that research connects to students’ experiences and opportunities.”

This research milestone announcement comes after U.S. News and World Report ranked BU No. 32 in its Top Public Schools in the nation and Forbes ranked BU the No. 1 public university in New York State.

The milestone is also significant to BU’s R1 status, the highest classification for research activity among universities, which requires at least $50 million in research spending and awarding at least 70 research-focused doctoral degrees annually.

“A long-term investment only matters if people actually feel the returns,” Tsao wrote. “I’d want to see the school show students and the local community what this research is actually leading to, like jobs, companies, and new opportunities, so it’s not just a big number in a press release.”