URIs_MOMENTUM_Research_and_Innovation_Magazine_Spring_2026_M

ECONOMIC IMPACTS OF URI’S FEDERAL RESEARCH FUNDING

For every $100M , URI generated an additional $80M in economic activity. For every 10 people directly employed by federal funding at URI, an additional 4 were hired elsewhere in the economy. FEDERAL FUNDING:

$180M IN ECONOMIC OUTPUT

$6.5M IN STATE AND LOCAL TAXES

$130M ADDED TO STATE GDP

QUICK FACTS: 47% of URI students are from in-state. Only 13% of students are from in-state at the average New England private college. 42% of URI graduates were working in the state 5 years post-graduation. Only 17% of graduates from the average New England private school remain in-state 5 years later. URI’s research enterprise is a powerful driver of long-term economic growth and competitiveness in Rhode Island. A separate economic impact study found that in FY25, URI’s total research activity—not limited to federal funding—generated $520.4 million annually. This includes $205.9 million in direct spending and $314.5 million in indirect and induced effects. Together, these figures underscore URI’s vital role in advancing the state’s innovation ecosystem.

Page 8 | The University of Rhode Island { MOMENTUM: ANNUAL REVIEW OF URI’S RESEARCH IMPACT }