HONOLULU (KHON2) — The University of Hawaiʻi announced on Aug. 6 that the 2025 fiscal year set a record $734 million in extramural funds. This surpasses the 2024 fiscal year’s $615.7 million, marking a 19.2% increase.
This is the fourth straight year the extramural funding record was broken.
Of UH’s ten campuses, the Manoa campus led the way by a longshot, with $570.4 million in extramural award amounts in 2025. Officials believe that this will have massive implications, particularly for the school of medicine.
“Our research is hyper local,” said Dr. Sam Shomaker, John A. Burns School of Medicine dean. “If we don’t do it, no one else will.”
For Gov. Josh Green, the money is more than just funding for schools — it helps provide lifelines for Native Hawaiians.
“I’ve seen firsthand the devastation that cancer brings to our families and the disparities and health disparities,” Green said. “Frankly, as they play out, particularly for our Hawaiian brothers and sisters, so having this research and these dollars and this outreach makes really all the difference for our families.”
This new record comes in spite of federal budget cuts in research funding. As of Aug. 5, 66 grants worth over $89 million were terminated.
“This investment shows growing recognition of the UH Cancer Center’s unique work to address cancer disparities in Hawaii’s communities, including Native Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders and Filipinos,” said UH Cancer Center Director Dr. Naoto T. Ueno.
Despite the hazy future for programs that have historically thrived off of federal grants, local leaders like U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz says that the fundraising efforts have left him optimistic.
“The next couple of years are going to be rocky. But I’m not scared. I’m clear eyed,” Schatz said. “And the reason I’m not scared is because of all of you.”