2023 Research and Scholarship by the Numbers

2023 was a banner year for research and scholarship at DU. Less than two years after the University reached R1 status—the highest tier of research universities—faculty, staff and students across departments and colleges have been instrumental in raising the bar, bringing in a record number of grants, publishing dozens of books and sharing DU’s expertise with the world. 

“Universities often experience fluctuation in research expenditures, based on faculty turnover. But at DU, we’ve had 10 years of a steady upward trajectory—driven by quality researchers and one of the more diverse research portfolios in academia,” says Corinne Lengsfeld, Senior Vice Provost for Research and Graduate Education.

$62.1 Million

Amount of new award funding DU received this year, a record for the University. Of the 147 new grants funded, 126 were more than $500K.

262

Number of principal and co-principal investigators, which has tripled in the last 10 years, thanks largely to brand-new faculty involved in grant awards.

49

Number of books authored by faculty across eight departments and colleges, including 21 from the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences.

36,912

Number of times the work of DU faculty was cited this year.

$3.99 Million

Amount of one of the largest grants awarded this year, to Morgridge College of Education from the Caring for Colorado Foundation for the Wellbeing and Equity in Rural Colorado Schools (WERCS) project. Elaine Belansky of the Center for Rural School Health and Education leads the 5-year project, which will implement mental health strategies for youth and staff in 31 rural schools in southeast and south-central Colorado.  

721

Number of times DU was mentioned in the media, including 478 local and 243 national outlets—a 16% increase over the previous year. Outlets included U.S. News and World Report, The Hill, The Washington Post, Bloomberg Law and The Denver Post.

631

Number of student researchers who received grant funding from DU in 2023, including 147 graduate assistantships—a 71% increase over pre-pandemic levels.

2,843

Master’s degrees awarded.

425

Doctoral degrees awarded.

2

Number of DU Undergraduate Research Journal issues published, including 14 articles, biographies and interviews—all authored and peer reviewed by undergraduates.