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Office of the OUHSC Vice President for Research

Research Updates

Research Funding

TOTAL SPONSORED AWARDS - State FY 24                                                                                 TOTAL FEDERAL AWARDS - State FY 24
$217.3 MILLION                                                                                                                                $132.8 MILLION


OU Health Sciences has achieved its highest-ever ranking in the Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research rankings, reaching No. 102 nationally for NIH funding—a 27-spot climb in two years—placing it among the top 3.6% of institutions receiving NIH support. With $75.2 million in NIH funding in FY2024, this recognition reflects the dedication of faculty, researchers, and staff in advancing biomedical and clinical research that improves patient outcomes and strengthens the university’s impact. 


OU Health Sciences Opens Innovative Lab Space

OU Health Sciences Opens Innovative Lab Space


Published: Monday, March 10, 2025

The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences recently announced the opening of more than 29,100 square feet of new laboratory space at University Research Park in Oklahoma City. The innovative facility represents an $11 million investment in OU’s strategic plan to become a top-tier research-driven academic health center.

“By strengthening our campus-wide research infrastructure with investment in new laboratory space, in parallel with advanced technology, we are ensuring that the University of Oklahoma academic health system continues to be at the forefront of scientific discovery,” said OU Health Sciences Senior Vice President and Provost Gary Raskob, Ph.D.

The space includes four large open-concept laboratories and 86 workstations, often called benches, to support as many as 144 scientists. There are dedicated areas for microscopy, cell culture, ultra-low temperature storage and specialized instrumentation. A conference room and collaboration areas are designed to foster interdisciplinary teamwork, teaching and mentoring.

The lab space is designed to support team science, which is quickly becoming the future of research.

“This new space reflects a modern approach to research, intentionally structured to bring together researchers, clinicians and students in a shared environment that accelerates discovery and its translation into real-world applications,” said OU Health Sciences Vice President for Research Darrin Akins, Ph.D.

Expanding research infrastructure is also an investment in people, said OU College of Medicine Executive Dean Ian Dunn, M.D., noting the college recently welcomed the founding chair of the new Department of Molecular Genetics and Genome Sciences.

“This facility will allow us to not only advance knowledge and accelerate the path to new therapeutics, but will it help us attract top-tier researchers, postdoctoral students and graduate students to Oklahoma, as well as retain our world-class faculty,” Dunn said. “This new space is an investment in our future.”

The facility is made possible by a $55 million bond, approved by the OU Board of Regents, to renovate and modernize 96,000 square feet of laboratory space across OU Health Sciences.

In fiscal year 2024, OU Health Sciences researchers earned over $217.5 million in sponsored awards, including $75.2 million from the National Institutes of Health. Last week, OU Health Sciences announced its new Blue Ridge Institute ranking of No. 102 in the nation for NIH funding, a rise of 20 spots from the previous federal fiscal year. This places OU Health Sciences among the top 3.6% of all 2,838 institutions and entities that receive NIH funding.

Research Newsletter

Past Newsletters 

June 16, 2025, Newsletter Highlights

This week's full newsletter and documents to download

Institutional Research Core Facility – Illumina now has a Single Cell Solution

The Institution Research Core Facility is offering a Core Lab Grant. We will be offering library preparation free of charge for 4-8 samples. The targeted cell number for this particular kit will be 2,000 cells. Winners may be asked to pay for the sequencing charges, but we are still working to possibly offer that for free as well. Winners will also be asked to do the cell washes before submitting to the Core. Free basic bioinformatics will be included.

Please submit your short abstract to: Jenny-Gipson@ouhsc.edu by June 30th. Once the winners are chosen, we will loop in our Illumina specialist to make sure we have success with your specific cell types.  See attached flyer for additional information.

WORKSHOPS AND SEMINARS

The Single Cell RNA Sequencing Workshopis a free, in-person, hands-on course held December 9–12, 2025, at the Inasmuch Foundation Atrium in the Bird Library. It will teach participants how to perform single-cell RNA sequencing analysis, including data alignment, visualization (UMAPs, heatmaps, volcano plots), and advanced analyses like ligand-receptor interactions, pathway, and pseudo time. The workshop uses bash and R and requires attendance at all three full-day sessions. Data will be provided. Around 20 applicants will be accepted; applications are due by July 31, 2025, with decisions sent by August 15. Full details and requirements are in the flyer.

The Native Nations Center for Tribal Policy Research (NNCTPR), would like to announce an event that the NNCTPR, in collaboration with Tana Fitzpatrick, Associate Vice President of Tribal Relations, and the Center for Faculty Excellence will host as part of our Ethical Tribal Engagement Series. This event will be held on Tuesday, June 17, 2025 12:00 to 1:30 at the Robert M. Bird Library Inasmuch Foundation Atrium room on the OUHSC campus as well as virtually. This ETE traveling event will be offered as part of the Improving Cancer Outcomes in Native American Communities (ICON) Grant.