Council on Government Relations' Video:

"Understanding the Real Costs of Research"

In 5 minutes, understand the real costs of federally funded university research. This COGR video explains the costs of research, including “indirect” costs, known as facilities and administrative (F&A) costs.

F&A cost reimbursements to universities and other research institutions are for research infrastructure, including: research facilities, utilities, cybersecurity, compliance with federal requirements and more.

COGR materials on F&A Cost Reimbursement.

AURP Resources: Response to NIH F&A Reimbursements

Visit AURP's special Resource Guide on NIH Facilities & Administrative Costs of Research – "What It Means For Bio Communities of Innovation and How to Get Involved."

AURP also is working with its partners in industry, the research community, academia and others to overturn this sudden change in the federal government’s investment in a critical technology for national competitiveness.

Visit our Resource Guide and recommended action plan.

How Much Revenue Does Each State Stand to Lose? (interactive map)

Credit: Jeff Murphy

AURP COMMUNITY PULSE

UCLA's Hal Monbouquette

Thursday, March 13, 2:30-3:00pm ET

Our Members-only Community Pulse events are a HIT!

Next month's member-sharing discussion features Hal Monbouquette, PhD, Professor, Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, UCLA Samueli School of Engineering.

Don't miss this the opportunity to learn from and interact with your colleagues!

Don't miss next month's discussion:

APRIL 17, 2:30pm ET | MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY INNOVATION CAMPUS

Mark Sharpe, Executive Director, MSU Innovation Campus

For this week's "One Text With . . . ", we're very happy to present Jason Kaplan, MUP, Associate Vice President, Innovation Quarter Operations and Wake Forest School of Medicine Academic Resources!

AURP: "Hey Jason! Thank you for joining AURP this year! What are some new R&D developments or projects at Innovation Quarter?"

Jason: “Innovation Quarter's Phase 2 in Winston-Salem, NC will add 1 million square feet of research, collaboration and lab space, along with 15 acres of urban green space. Key focus is to provide industry partners the space and resources to commercialize Regenerative Medicine patient therapies. Infrastructure work began in September 2023, including a 2,270-foot Long Branch Trail extension, utilities and fiber network expansion, providing a platform for a diversity of uses including residential, retail and hospitality amenities."

AURP: "Really cool to hear about all of this great activity – thank you Jason!"

Resources & Announcements

SSTI Report: Higher Ed R&D Steadily Increased Over Last Decade

Higher education research and development (HERD) expenditures have surpassed $100 billion in fiscal year 2023, growing by 62% over the past decade, according to an analysis of HERD Survey data by our partner organization, SSTI. Science fields dominate with 78% of total expenditures, led by life sciences, while non-S&E fields experienced the highest relative growth at over 100%.

California ($13.5B), New York ($9B) and Texas ($8.3B) lead in total spending, though research specialization varies by state, with Maryland, Pennsylvania and California excelling in computer sciences. 

At the institutional level, 33 universities exceeded $1B in expenditures, accounting for 45% of all HERD funding, with Johns Hopkins University leading at $3.8B (including $2.3B from its Applied Physics Laboratory), followed by UC San Francisco ($2B), University of Pennsylvania (just under $2B) and University of Michigan, Ann Arbor ($1.9B).

Read more.

Duke University's Scott Selig, Associate Vice President for Capital Assets and Real Estate, will retire in August 2025 after nearly 25 years of leadership in Durham's development landscape. Since joining Duke in 2001, Selig has spearheaded the university's off-campus real estate strategy, playing pivotal anchor roles in the creation of the Durham Innovation District and American Tobacco Campus that revitalized downtown Durham. Under Selig's direction, Duke's real estate portfolio grew to encompass over 300 leases covering approximately 4.5 million square feet of diverse spaces, while his community involvement extended to serving on multiple local boards. Read more.

Jeff Smith is the Director of Research Parks for the Michigan State University (MSU) Research Foundation. In this role, Jeff manages and directs the real estate and economic development opportunities on behalf of the MSU Foundation. This includes development and construction within the University Health Park and Spartan Village, the Alliance Building, the VanCamp Incubator, City Center and the Technology Innovation Center. 

His goal continues to focus on leveraging university, corporate research and community technologies toward commercialization and expansion of the marketplace. In addition to his service as an AURP Board Member and Member/Sponsor Committee Chair, Jeff is a Board Member of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation Advisory Board for Redevelopment Ready Communities, the Lansing Regional Chamber Policy Committee, the East Lansing DDA, BRA and EDC.

Jeff has been heavily involved in creating a culture of creativity and innovation in Michigan for over two decades. From race directing the DirtyFeat Adventure Race and Red Paddle Kayak races, to initiating and hosting Ignite Lansing PechaKucha events, Jeff has been zeroed in on what makes a community unique for most of his life (ask him about the Lansing Olive Burger Festival).

Jeff is a proud graduate of Michigan State University, earning both a Bachelor's in telecommunications and a Master’s in Urban and Regional Planning. He lives in East Lansing with his wife Angie and three sons Isaiah, Nolan and Ellis.

In the final episode of Black Excellence U 2025: Generational Conversations, North Carolina Central University student Allaya Davis and NPower NC Executive Director Nicholas Allen discussed strategies for Research Triangle Park (RTP) companies to better support students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). They emphasized the importance of bridging the gap between students and industry leaders, creating mentorship and internship opportunities and investing in HBCU talent to drive innovation. Watch this video episode.

The University of California, Davis, has announced an annual economic impact of $13.18 billion statewide, with $9.57 billion benefiting the Sacramento metropolitan area, supporting 68,300 jobs across California and 61,700 within the region. The forthcoming UC Davis Aggie Square innovation district, set to open its first phase in May on the Sacramento campus, is projected to contribute an additional $500 million in regional economic output and sustain 3,200 jobs annually upon full completion. Construction efforts for Aggie Square are expected to generate over 12,100 construction-related jobs regionally, resulting in a $1.9 billion economic impact. Read more.

Duracell, a leading battery manufacturer, is investing $56 million to establish its new global Research and Development headquarters at Science Square in Atlanta, adjacent to Georgia Tech's campus. This strategic move will create 110 high-paying jobs and underscores Atlanta's growing status as a hub for technological innovation. The relocation from Bethel, CT, to Atlanta is driven by the city's vibrant tech ecosystem and proximity to Duracell's existing manufacturing facilities in Georgia. The new R&D hub is slated to open in the summer of 2026, further strengthening Duracell's commitment to advancing battery technology. Read more.

Canon Healthcare USA has acquired a 43,000-square-foot building in Cleveland's Fairfax neighborhood, adjacent to the Cleveland Clinic's main campus. This facility will serve as Canon Healthcare's U.S. headquarters and a comprehensive imaging resource center, aiming to accelerate medical imaging innovation. The $33.7 million investment is part of the Cleveland Innovation District, a public-private partnership designed to boost research, job creation, and workforce development in the region. The project is expected to create 50 new jobs with an average salary of $150,000, contributing to the growth of Canon's medical business in the influential U.S. market. Read more.

At the Ion District innovation hub in Houston, Rice University President Reginald DesRoches and Arizona State University President Michael Crow discussed the pivotal role of research universities in driving innovation, economic growth and social mobility. They emphasized that many technological advancements, such as those found in modern smartphones, stem from extensive, often unrecognized research conducted by academic institutions. Both leaders highlighted the importance of partnerships and long-term investments in fostering environments where universities can collaborate with private sectors to benefit society. Read more.

The University of Cincinnati's 1819 Innovation Hub has become a regional center for AI innovation, with local tech leaders sharing their top AI platforms for business efficiency. Matthew Sias, founder of Innovation Acceleration, recommends MIT's Orbit for entrepreneurial guidance, Claude AI for strategic planning and automation, Capitol AI for research-intensive tasks, and OpenAI's DALL-E 3 and Sora for visual content creation. Sylvie O'Connor, head of customer success at Tembo, highlights Perplexity AI as a Google alternative with transparent citations, Cursor for accelerating code development and Grok for its integration with X (formerly Twitter) and brainstorming capabilities. Both leaders emphasize these AI tools should supplement rather than replace human work, offering Cincinnati businesses new ways to enhance productivity and drive innovation in the growing tech ecosystem. Read more.

AURP Rural Autonomous Innovation Network

Meets with Maryland Aerospace Partners

The AURP Rural Autonomous Innovation Network (RAIN) met with Maryland Aerospace partners as part of 2025 Maryland Aerospace Day last month in Annapolis, Maryland. The UAS Research and Operations Center managed by the at the St. Mary’s County (MD) Aeropark Innovation District attended along with other AURP members from Maryland and the Greater Washington Region.

AURP RAIN last year received Phase 1 and Phase 2 U.S. SBA 2024 Growth Accelerator Fund cash prizes for AURP's work supporting the launch, growth and scale of STEM/R&D-focused small businesses through its RAIN.

With these SBA award funds, RAIN is leveraging current university members (AURP ecosystem partners known as the “The RAIN Makers”), plus supporting firms in rural EPSCOR states and other rural communities.

Learn more about AURP RAIN.

#AURPinAction

Economic Impact Reports

Research parks, innovation districts and tech hubs are strong economic, job-creating engines and contribute to economic development in local communities, regions, states and nations.

Our AURP website features current impact studies that illustrate the dynamic impact of university research parks, innovation districts and tech hubs.

Learn how University of Texas at Arlington research projects contributed $59 million to the national economy in 2024!

Share your impact report on our website! Learn more.

AURP CAREER CENTER

Check out the AURP Career Center to discover your

next career opportunity, including:



• Vice President for Research and Sponsored Programs – University of Toledo
• Wadhwani Endowed Chair in Clinical and Translational Research – The University of North Dakota (UND) School of Medicine and Health Sciences (SMHS) and Sanford Health-Fargo
• Vice President for Research, Creativity, and Economic Development – New Mexico State University
• Chief Executive Officer – McMaster Innovation Park (Hamilton, ON)
• Dean, School of Computing, Information and Data Sciences – University of California San Diego