UNC sociology is No. 1 in the country in terms of research expenditures

Old Well instagram Fall 2015Sociological research at UNC is again No. 1 in the country in terms of research expenditures from all sources, according to recent data on research expenditures compiled by the National Science Foundation.

UNC also again ranks second in the country to the University of Michigan for research expenditures in the social sciences from all sources.

“These impressive rankings underscore how faculty in the College of Arts and Sciences and across the University are carrying out cutting-edge research addressing vital local, national and global problems,” said Jonathan Hartlyn, senior associate dean for social sciences and global programs in the College.

The national rankings are computed annually by the NSF as part of its Higher Education Research and Development survey. The survey ranks hundreds of U.S. colleges and universities using a uniform methodology developed by NSF to establish the amount of university spending on research and development. The vast majority of research spending is funded by federal research agencies, private industry and foundations. The latest NSF rankings cover fiscal year 2014.

Carolina climbed to eighth place nationally in overall research and development expenditures and sixth place nationally in federal R&D spending.

This is the second year in a row that UNC has placed in the top 10 for both categories, underscoring its rising prominence as a leader in 21st-century research in both federal and overall research spending.

View the social sciences data and read a story about Carolina’s continued ascent as a global research powerhouse.

Read a recent story about research by sociologists Kathleen Mullan Harris and Yang Claire Yang that shows social networks are as important as exercise and diet across the span of our lives.