UMich awarded most federal funding in nation for social science research

The University of Michigan recently earned the top spot for the second year in a row in the Consortium of Social Science Associations’ 2023 College & University Rankings, which decides how much federal funding is allocated to universities that conduct social and behavioral science research and development. This funding allows for the University to conduct further research on social science topics, such as how improv can improve mental health and how socioeconomic factors influence brain development.

The rankings, which are based on data from 2021, show the University received $94,689,000 in federal funding for social sciences research, surpassing the $77,911,000 total of second-ranked University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

In an email to The Michigan Daily, Rebecca Cunningham, the University’s vice president for research, said the rankings reflect the hard work being done by U-M social and behavioral science researchers. 

“It is incredibly exciting to see the University of Michigan maintain its status as a national leader in social science research,” Cunningham wrote. “It is also important to remember that these types of rankings are a direct reflection of our talented researchers, who lead innovative social science projects that generate new knowledge, identify solutions to key societal challenges and positively impact communities around the world.”

Universities use a variety of external funding sources to support research projects, including federal grants researchers can apply for to fund their projects.

In an interview with The Daily, COSSA Executive Director Wendy Naus said the rankings help facilitate friendly competition between universities such as UNC and the University of Michigan.

“I always wait to see year to year who’s gonna come out on top, (the University of Michigan) or the University of North Carolina, because you guys switch back and forth,” Naus said. “Everyone else is pretty far behind. It’s usually a pretty exciting race every year when we pull the data together. It’s exciting for us and I think it’s fun for our university friends to see who comes out on top.”

According to Naus, COSSA is an advocacy organization that serves as a bridge between the research community and policymakers. Naus said the rankings began as a way to further promote funding for social sciences research.

“(COSSA has) been using federally collected data to develop the rankings since 2016, because we were really interested (to see) if there was a positive message that could be told to policymakers about how much money is going to their state and local universities for this research, and it turns out the numbers were really positive,” Naus said. 

In an email to The Daily, Cunningham said social and behavioral sciences research is important because it provides greater insight into how individuals and societies function, helping to inform the ways in which social challenges are approached.

“Social sciences research is absolutely essential because it examines relationships among individuals, as well as relationships between individuals and their societies,” Cunningham wrote. “Here at Michigan, our social scientists explore topics ranging from the healing power of words, how evolution shaped human thought and how physical spaces can encourage breakthrough ideas. When you consider some of the greatest challenges we face as a society — from systemic racism to youth firearm violence — our nation has often turned to scientific evidence and social science for answers.”

LSA junior Amanda Webster, who conducts psychology research at the University, said the rankings make her hopeful that policymakers are gaining an understanding of the importance of social sciences research.

“I think (the rankings are) pretty impressive,” Webster said. “I feel like social science as a research area is kind of undervalued compared to some other research areas. But social science permeates so much of how we communicate with others and understand the world. So, I think it’s really cool that there’s a culture shift in terms of  maybe valuing social science to a greater extent.”

Daily Staff Reporter Nadia Taeckens can be reached at taeckens@umich.edu.