Illinois
THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION (NSF)
is the only federal agency whose mission includes support
for all fields of fundamental science and engineering.
“Research breakthroughs create industry in fields that
were once unheard of, fueling new waves of jobs and
prosperity.”
-Michael J. Hogan
President of University of Illinois
BY THE NUMBERS
Illinois in FY 2012
$376 Million: NSF funds awarded
5th: National ranking in NSF funds
73: NSF-funded institutions
957: NSF grants awarded
16: NSF research centers/facilities
EXAMPLES OF NSF-FUNDED RESEARCH IN ILLNOIS
Illinois is one of three earthquake research centers selected by NSF to extend understanding
on the problems associated with low-frequency seismic events and reducing the potential
earthquake losses to the central and eastern U.S.
NSF supports the Blue Waters petascale computing project to produce a computer four
times more powerful than any computer that exists today.
NSF’s Emerging Frontiers in Research and Innovation program aids researchers at the
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in creating an artificial skin with whiskers to
enhance sensing abilities for robotic arms and whisker-tipped catheters for cardiac
procedures to prevent atrial fibrillation.
Courtesy: www.research.gov/seeinnovation
INVESTMENT IN NSF = INVESTMENT IN ILLINOIS
When ranked amongst universities alone, the
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ranks
first in receiving NSF funding.
Illinois ranks 8th in the nation for research and
development research and 13th in federal research
and development funding.2
Illinois ranks as “Best State to Make a Living”
based upon relatively high average wages, a low
state tax rate, and the below-average cost of
living.1
The University of Illinois pumps more than $13
billion into the state’s economy.3
Being the 5th leading exporter in the United
States, the state of Illinois has important ties
globally.2
Researchers from the University of Illinois have
started 48 companies, obtained over 230 patents,
and disclosed 1,200 technologies.2
Money Rates. “10 Best States for Making a Living.”
America. “Global Health R&D”
3 Institute of Government and Public Affairs. “Impact Illinois”
1
2 Research!
Coalition for National Science Funding (CNSF)  1527 Eighteenth Street, NW  Washington, DC 20036  www.cnsfweb.org
Illinois
THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
(NSF) not only funds cutting-edge research at
institutions across the country; NSF’s education
initiatives ensure the U.S. will remain a global
leader in innovation for generations to come.
Since 1952, NSF has supported
45,000 graduate students through
research fellowships.
Illinois received $28 million in NSF
educational funding in FY 2012.
EXAMPLES OF NSF-FUNDED EDUCATION PROGRAMS IN ILLINOIS
NSF funding assists Project Exploration, a nonprofit science education organization, in
expanding inner-city minority youth’s and girls’ interests in science. Students are enabled to
explore science, develop leadership skills, and expand their minds to include science as a
career option.
University of Chicago participates in NSF funded research to understand spatial learning and
use this knowledge to renovate educational practices and support all children to excel in
STEM related fields.
Tornado Alley, funded by NSF’s Informal Science Education, explores the science behind
severe weather events, increases public understanding of meteorology, and showcases the
research of VORTEX-2, a large-scale experiment to study tornadoes.
Courtesy: www.research.gov/seeinnovation
“Federally funded research is essential to our mission as a public research university. It increases our capacity to
contribute to basic science and to find real-world solutions to pressing social and technical problems.”
-Richard Wheeler, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Interim
Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Provost
“In terms of cultivating the next generation of scientists, few programs can match the impact of the NSF. So, needless to
say, we are elated that NSF has invested so much in [our] students’ futures and in their research here at Illinois.”
-Ken Vickery, Director of External Fellowship in the Graduate College
of University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Coalition for National Science Funding (CNSF)  1527 Eighteenth Street, NW  Washington, DC 20036  www.cnsfweb.org