UVA Engineering's focus on bold research to benefit society is earning results: Sponsored research funding increased by 74 percent between fiscal years 2016 and 2018. The one-year increases included 27.5 percent between fiscal years 2017 and 2018 (from $60 million to $76.5 million) and 36 percent from FY2016 to FY2017. The Engineering School is a driver of the University of Virginia's overall sponsored research funding increases, which totaled 11 percent between fiscal years 2017 and 2018. Nationally, UVA Engineering is performing exceptionally well on another key metric for research: compound annual growth rate in research expenditures. UVA is well above the average research growth rate for the top engineering graduate schools in the country, as ranked by U.S. News & World Report. “This outstanding growth is a direct result of UVA Engineering faculty's determination to lead the nation in research that is relevant and valuable to society,†said Dean Craig H. Benson. “Our strategy is to focus in thematic areas where we can bring unique, interdisciplinary strengths to bear on complex engineering challenges, such as medicine, cyber and sustainability. In a highly competitive research environment, our strategy is paying off.†Executive Dean Pamela M. Norris said, “We've taken a strategic approach to building a strong research program, supported by excellent collaboration and focus among our faculty, staff and leadership. I am exceptionally proud of our faculty, whose proposals to funding agencies have been highly effective and increasingly bold. Our faculty are dreaming big. “The research awards we're pursuing will allow UVA Engineering to lead the way in addressing grand challenges in such areas as healthcare, the environment, advanced materials and the cyber future,†Norris said.