KINGSTON, R.I. — June 25, 2020 — The University of Rhode Island College of Pharmacy has improved on its top 10 ranking in total federal research funding, moving up to number 8 in the country in funding from federal agencies like the National Institutes of Health, securing more than $18 million in fiscal 2019. The number 8 ranking — among 143 pharmacy colleges in the country — is a record for URI for the third year in a row.

After consistently ranking in the 20s in the annual American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy summary of research funding over the last several years, the College soared to number 11 in fiscal 2017, following that up with its first top-10 ranking last year. URI is the only college of pharmacy in the northeast in the top 20.

The funding will fuel research such as efforts to improve the influenza vaccine, find new treatments for cerebral palsy and reduce incidences of HIV. URI Pharmacy faculty members will also work on easing the debilitating effects of Alzheimer’s disease, reducing the incidence of opioid overdose, and developing new approaches to test for COVID-19, among several other groundbreaking projects. A more comprehensive look at planned research projects can be found on the College’s website.

“Our dynamic faculty members and researchers continue to amaze with their groundbreaking projects that have drawn the attention of grant funders around the country,” Dean Paul Larrat said. “Their work has the potential to make an enormous impact on health care, helping find new treatments for patients and possibly even slow the incidence of some illnesses. Their projects also provide valuable experience for our students, enhancing their education.”

In addition to preparing the next generation of pharmacists and pharmaceutical scientists, the faculty members and researchers in the URI College of Pharmacy have a mission to improve health care in the broader community by seeking new treatments and more effective delivery of pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals. They have made a concerted effort to pave the way for discovery, collaborating with such organizations as URI’s George & Anne Ryan Center for Neuroscience, the Rhode Island IDeA Network for Excellence in Biomedical Research (RINBRE), which is based at URI, and Advance Clinical and Translational Research (Advance-CTR), a statewide partnership among URI, Brown University, Lifespan, the Providence Veterans Affairs Medical Center and the Rhode Island Quality Institute.