2021 Annual Report - University of Houston
Skip to main content
Amr Elnashai Presiden't Cabinet portrait
The University of Houston's research enterprise achieves unprecedented success, setting new standards for preeminence. This Annual Report highlights our remarkable strides.

With the Presidential Frontier Faculty hiring program, we've recruited 25 professors annually for four years, focused on thematic areas and societal challenges. Simultaneously, our core facilities in data science, automation, imaging, and more drive unparalleled discovery and innovation.

Our efforts yield impressive outcomes, including a 35% increase in research contracts over $1 million and attracting federally-funded research centers. Through initiatives like Research Reaching Houston we showcase our impact locally and nationally.

As we strive for sustained excellence, we welcome feedback from our alumni, supporters, and peers. Our best days are yet to come.

Amr Elnashai, FREng
Vice President for Research

Research By The Numbers

Although the pandemic challenged all university research operations, UH still saw a bump in overall research expenditures in fiscal year 2021 at $203 million and a high of federal expenditures at $82 million, a 20% rise over the last five years. Historically, UH hit its highest number of total research expenditures ($203M), sponsored research expenditures ($114M) and federal research expenditures ($82M) on record.
  • $203MResearch Expenditures
  • $925MTotal Funds Requested
  • $145MTotal Projected Award Amount
  • 1,389Proposals Submitted
  • 29%Proposals Awarded
  • 399Number of Awards Received

Innovation By The Numbers

Licensing income was near an all-time high at $65.5 million in FY21, a 425% increase over the last decade. In 2021, UH was once again on the global list of top 100 university systems for utility patents— landing in the 79th spot. In FY21, UH saw one of the highest numbers of invention disclosures within a single year.
  • $65.6M Licensing Income
  • 73Disclosures
  • 25Patents

2021: Year In Review

Presidential Frontier Faculty Inaugural Cohort

Presidential Frontier Faculty

The Presidential Frontier Faculty program is an innovative initiative to hire 100 exceptional faculty members over four years. These faculty will concentrate on addressing critical societal issues in health, energy, security, and sustainability. This program, jointly managed by UH's Provost and Research Division, fosters interdisciplinary solutions to societal problems.

Houston Highway Skyline

Research Reaching Houston

Research Reaching Houston is a storytelling website designed to highlight the university's public impact research in the Greater Houston region. It shows how UH faculty contribute their expertise to address various societal challenges in the city. The project's success is demonstrated by republishing in reputable journals, and the site is set to reach 100 stories by 2022.