Research and Discovery at UIC
The University of Illinois Chicago is one of the nation’s top federally-funded public research universities. Student and faculty investigators in UIC’s seven health sciences colleges enjoy an interdisciplinary research environment, access to advanced research facilities, support for research design and data analysis and the ability to engage with a diverse patient population through the University of Illinois Hospital & Health Sciences System.
Researchers focus on both basic research to help better-understand disease processes and translational research that looks for ways to use discoveries made in the laboratory to help patients. UI Health also conducts more than 100 clinical research trials ranging from identifying the best treatments for childhood cancers, to learning how community outreach efforts can help patients in the community live healthier lifestyles.
In FY2025, UIC reported $490.7 million in annual sponsored research awards, which underscores the university’s commitment and excellence in research and discovery. Of that total amount, $353.1M (72%) were for the health sciences:
Research Awards in the Health Sciences
Research Awards in the Health Sciences
| College of Medicine | $206.3M |
| School of Public Health | $35.3M |
| College of Applied Health Sciences | $32.7M |
| Retzky College of Pharmacy | $24.0M |
| UI Cancer Center | $23.0M |
| College of Nursing | $15.9M |
| Healthcare System | $6.2M |
| College of Dentistry | $5.1M |
| College of Social Work | $4.6M |
| Grand Total | $353.1M - 72% of total UIC awards |
| Source: UIC Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research, FY25 |
Research & Clinical Trials at UIC
Updates from the UIC Vice Chancellor for Research
UIC Research Week
The 2026 celebration of research discovery, innovation and collaboration at UIC was held April 20-24, and featured seminars, presentations, meetings and events showcasing the work of faculty, staff, students and research trainees.
Novel Technology Leads to Groundbreaking Stem Cell Company
A team with UIC roots is taking gene editing and synthetic biology to the next level with their company, Syntax Bio. They are leveraging the CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats) system’s properties to turn genes on and off in specific orders. Using their proprietary Cellgorithm™ technology, the team can change stem cells into types of specialized cells for use in research or development of new therapeutics.
UIC Office of Innovation moves to OVCR
The Office of Innovation advances innovation and entrepreneurship on campus, connects UIC to the Chicago ecosystem and engages industry partners.
Research Resources
The UIC Office of Research Integrity in OVCR has released guidelines for authorship and recommendations for how to handle authorship disputes. They are intended both as an educational resource and as a tool to help prevent and handle authorship disputes.
NIH released a new data management plan template which will be effective on May 25, 2026. Research teams are encouraged to reach out to DMSPSupport@uic.edu with questions or to get support with the new requirements.
Research at the Health Sciences Colleges
The Office of Population Health Sciences
The Office of Population Health Sciences supports the mission of UI Health by providing strategies, technical, and operational support for developing, testing, and implementing population-specific programs designed to achieve health equity.
Originally founded in September 2011 as the Population Health Sciences Program, the Office of Population Health Sciences catalyzes and supports enterprise-level leadership for care delivery science within the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs.
The Office of Population Health Sciences engages clinicians, patients, and other stakeholders in developing innovative inter-professional models of care that improve health in communities served by the University of Illinois Hospital & Health Sciences System.