According to a report from the Institute for Research on Innovation and Science (IRIS), UT Arlington research activity generated $59 million in national economic impact in 2024, a 39% increase over the previous year.

That spending supported local businesses, student researchers, and advanced research infrastructure across the region.

IRIS is a national consortium of universities and research centers that aggregates and analyzes anonymized administrative data to assess the economic and workforce impact of academic research.

Member institutions, including UTA, the University of North Texas, the University of Texas at Dallas, Texas A&M University, and others, use IRIS reports to better understand how their research activities translate into local and national benefits — from vendor contracts and equipment purchases to the training of early-career researchers.

“Now more than ever, universities need timely, actionable data to understand and explain the value of research investments,” writes IRIS in its year in review report.

“The important research coming from UT Arlington faculty and students is not only developing solutions that can transform lives, but it’s also helping drive the economy in North Texas and beyond,” Kate C. Miller, vice president for research and innovation at UTA, said in a statement.

“This report showcases the powerful ripple effect UTA research has throughout our local, regional, and national economies.”

Federal and regional dimensions

UTA said it has invested heavily in research infrastructure, acquiring equipment such as North Texas’ most advanced gene sequencer and a magnetic resonance imaging machine for its Clinical Imaging Research Center.

A new $1 million next-generation genetic sequencer—the only one of its kind in North Texas— The new $1 million instrument, the only one of its kind in North Texas, allows faculty and students to more deeply analyze rare genetic variants, an important step in discovering new insights for the future of health care. [Photo: UT Arlington]

Many of the external research dollars supporting this work originated as federal grants from agencies such as the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, and the U.S. Departments of Defense, Transportation, Commerce, and Energy. Additional research funding came from philanthropic organizations and state and local governments.

In 2024, UTA researchers spent $59 million on research-related goods and services across 354 U.S. counties, with $29.1 million of that total spent in Texas. The university said it worked with more than 1,100 unique vendor contracts and subcontracts last year, helping support over 1,400 undergraduate and graduate student researchers who gained hands-on experience and workforce skills.

A broad national lens

IRIS Executive Director Jason Owen-Smith said the organization’s reports aim to highlight the often-overlooked connections between university research and the broader economy.

It’s a partnership of the NSF, The Ohio State University, and the Social Science Research Council to create a “new, people-centric way” to measure the impacts of research investments on emerging industries.

“IRIS reports pull back the curtain on the resources and expertise universities need to fuel discovery and innovation,” Owen-Smith said in a statement.

“Whether by purchasing equipment, hiring contractors, or training early-career researchers, universities are a source of daily economic and social benefits to communities in every congressional district in the country.”

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