Externally Funded Research

CUNY faculty members are dedicated teachers and scholars. Through research, they invent new technologies that strengthen the economy, investigate basic science problems that can lead to lifesaving cures for disease, address urgent social problems, enhance the nation's cultural life, and develop programs to improve education. Their work is recognized by more than 1600 grants from external sources.

  • In 1995, CUNY received $212.3 million in grants from private and government sources.
  • The U.S. Department of Education was the largest granting organization to CUNY with more than $31 million. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services awarded more than $21 million to the University's colleges. Grants from the National Science Foundation totalled $16 million.

Today's Frontiers, Tomorrow's Technology

The City University of New York is actively pursuing the most promising areas of scientific researchfields like photonics, gene expression, energy, semiconductors, polymers, lasers, artificial intelligence, neuroanatomy, and medical imaging.

Among the University's supporters and partners in this research are the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Energy, NASA, EXXON, Mediscience Technology, Northrop Grumman, Excel-Quantronix, Rockwell, Kodak, Redox, the National Institutes of Health, NYNEX, and the American Heart Association.

  • The University was awarded a three-year $15 million research equipment grant from the State's Higher Education Applied Techology (HEAT) Program in 1992. With these funds as a base, CUNY has developed centers in biomedicine and biotechnology, the environment, and ultrafast photonics, within a university-wide Applied Science Coordinating Institute (ASCI).
  • In addition to other grants, ASCI scientists have generated about $9 million a year in government and industrial grants for work using HEAT equipment.
  • CUNY was named a New York State Center for Advanced Technology (CAT) in Ultrafast Photonic Materials and Applications in 1993. The University was selected for the prestigious designation after a review by a National Academy of Sciences research panel.
  • CUNY scientists participating in CAT hold more than 60 patents.
  • The University Transportation Research Center (UTRC), located at City College, the lead institution in a consortium of 12 major universities throughout the region, has received $14.5 million in grants from the U.S. Department of Transportation since 1987 to advance U.S. expertise and technology in transportation. The City College Center research has included studying the impacts of parking and pricing on urban traffic, and the development of statewide transportation plans.


The City University of New York