118 unique investigators received funding from 92 sponsors, including 21 different federal agencies and 12 different state agencies.
by SAM PESHEK
UNO Director of Editorial and Media Relations
For the third straight year, the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) exceeded $40 million in grant awards.
In total, investigators secured $40,783,060 in external funding for FY 2024-2025, according to UNO’s Office of Research and Creative Activity (ORCA).
“The momentum we are seeing today in the direct result of a shared vision for excellence in research and discovery across every college, department and division of our university,” UNO Chancellor Joanne Li, Ph.D., CFA, said. “Our investigators sent a loud and clear message that we solve real problems and serve the public good. This university-wide success shows what’s possible when our people come together with purpose and passion.”
Funding was provided by 92 unique sponsors, including 21 different federal agencies and 12 different state agencies. Additionally, 210 proposals were awarded, 118 unique principal investigators (PIs) were awarded external grants, the total number of new submissions increased by more than $18 million from FY 2023-2024 and 205 student awards were given for a total of more than $624,810.
“This is truly something to celebrate. I’m so happy for our faculty because this accomplishment is a testament to their vision, commitment and belief in the work they do. Phil He, Ph.D., Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, said. It takes time, energy and persistence to seek funding and deliver real-world impact, and they’ve done that in extraordinary ways. Thanks to them, our students, our city, our state and even the nation are seeing the benefits of research done with purpose. I’m deeply grateful to support such an inspiring academic community.”
Notable projects that received funding in 2024-2025 include:
- College of Public Affairs and Community Service Associate Professor Chenyu “Victor” Huang, Ph.D., received a grant from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to help pave the way for safe integration of uncrewed aircraft – including drones – alongside traditional aircraft in the national airspace system.
- College of Information Science & Technology Associate Professor Dario Ghersi, M.D., Ph.D., teamed up with Princeton researchers to develop an AI-powered tool to improve the effectiveness of cancer immunotherapies. Their work was supported in part by a National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant and published in the leading scientific journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
- College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences professors partnered with Connecticut-based company Motive Labs to test the FlyBand® ExoBoot, an exoskeleton embedded inside a regulation combat boot. Their work was supported by U.S. Department of Defense-Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs.
“This year’s grant awards tell a powerful story of grassroots momentum fueled by creativity, curiosity and a deep connection to our community,” said Sara Myers, Ph.D., Associate Vice Chancellor for Research and Creative Activity. “I’m especially proud of the faculty who mentored and led our student researchers. Their leadership is helping shape a new generation of innovators who are learning, growing and changing the world, starting right here in Omaha.”
