Hartford Business Journal

HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | AUGUST 11, 2025 11 A third benefit of AAU membership would be to improve UConn's ability to recruit talent. "If you want to recruit and retain the top talents, they need to know that you have the funding, that you have the infrastructure, and then the students want to come," Maric said. An increasing number of students enrolling at UConn want experience in the research lab as freshmen and sophomores, she said, "because many of them are looking for grad- uate school or going to companies like Google, like Apple, like Nvidia, and without that research experience, you are not competitive enough." 'An aspiring goal' UConn officials, however, are convinced the university is already on par with some AAU members. In fact, Pamir said he completed a study in 2023 that shows UConn's "overall research productivity is comparable to about 25% of AAU members," as well as to "the 15 other universities identified as competitors for AAU membership." For the study, Pamir said he reviewed "a lot" of data, including Higher Education Research & Devel- opment (HERD) rankings, state and federal research funding, as well as publication records. The latter shows "how many papers, how many books, how many scholarly works we are putting out, and how other institutions are doing that," he said. The study also looked at the impact of those publications by examining how often they are cited in other works. The most important criteria, though, is research funding, he said. "To get the research dollars, you have to have great ideas that the federal agencies will support," Pamir said. "The research awards turn into inventions, papers, books, and then their impact is felt down the line through citations or national awards or international awards. So, all of that tells a comprehensive story." UConn has made significant strides in obtaining research dollars. Maric noted that when she was first hired at UConn as vice president for research in 2017, the school's research budget was $267.6 million. By 2022, it was $367.6 million. This year, the school's research budget is now about $380 million. That's a 42% increase in eight years. Still, there's room for growth. To support the effort to join the AAU, Maric told the trustees that UConn needs to increase its total annual R&D expenditures to $500 million by 2030, and raise its endow- ment market value from $577 million to $1 billion by 2032. The funding increases she seeks come amid the school's recent finan- cial struggles. Maric has previously said the university and UConn Health system face a combined $134 million budget deficit over the next two years due in part to state budget cuts. In addition, the need to increase fundraising for revenue sharing with student athletes, and cuts in grants by the federal government further place a strain on the university's finances. Despite those issues, Maric believes the goals are achievable. She noted UConn is competing for federal and state funding for two different major research projects. The school is a finalist in a U.S. Depart- ment of Commerce competition for smart manufacturing utilizing artificial intelligence, which could provide a piece of up to $400 million in research funding. UConn is also working with Yale University to develop an innovation ecosystem in Connecticut focused on quantum technologies. The initiative is among 29 nationwide chosen as a finalist for up to $160 million in National Science Foundation funding. Both projects also are eligible for millions of dollars in state matching funds, Maric said. As for fundraising, Maric said the university is currently in the midst of its largest campaign ever, called "Because of UConn." The multiyear campaign started in 2020, and through the end of July has raised $757 million. "So, if you look where we are, I think we are in the right direction," Maric said. "We have to have a laser focus. We have to have more donors, we have to engage more alumni. We have to engage more of the industry. It is a stretch goal, but I would not call that an imaginary goal. I will call it an aspiring goal. And this is where we want to be." UConn President Radenka Maric. Contributed Photo 100% focused on our owners: Our Customers As a mutual bank, we're 100% committed to the best interests of the individuals we serve, the businesses we support, and the communities we're building together. No wonder we retain so many customers for life. Learn more at WindsorFederal.com. Windsor | East Windsor | South Windsor | Bloomfield | Granby | Suffield windsorfederal.com

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