One of the foundational goals of UAB’s Research Strategic Initiative is to build capacity across three core themes: people, technology and space.
A number of major strategic investments recently launched through the RSI have been made possible through supplemental state funding.
“Our state legislators understand that their investments in UAB deliver positive returns that touch every county of the state, and we are grateful for their ongoing support of our mission to serve all Alabamians,” said UAB President Ray Watts, M.D. “Their partnership with us has been instrumental in funding initiatives that matter to them and their constituents, our employees, and everyone across the state we serve together. Funds appropriated by the state to UAB — particularly in our research enterprise — reflect our shared commitment to improving lives, driving economic growth and positioning Alabama as a leader in biomedical innovation.”
People
The UAB Presidential Bridge Funding Program, supported by a supplemental state appropriation of $2.5 million, is aimed at preserving the momentum of high-impact research in the event of funding interruptions. Without this support, potential life-changing and lifesaving discoveries could be lost or delayed, so the program provides financial support to ensure continuity in research activities, retention of key personnel and the ability to adapt to evolving federal priorities. The program can be especially important for early career researchers whose progress might otherwise stall. Awards range from $25,000 to $100,000, with a required cost-sharing commitment from the applicant’s department or college. Priority is given to projects that align with UAB’s strategic research priorities and those that support graduate students and postdocs. The application for the UAB Presidential Bridge Funding Program will roll out in January 2026.
The Clinical Trials Development Program, also supported by a $2.5 million supplemental state allocation, will help recruit and retain world-class faculty to lead in both current and new areas to advance therapeutics and medical devices to patients who need them most. Clinical trials often represent a patient’s only opportunity for hope when traditional methods of care have failed. These funds will be competitively accessible to all deans of the academic units that conduct clinical trials (the schools of Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing, Optometry, Health Professions and Public Health) through a transparent process administered by the UAB Office of Research.
Precision, personalized medicine and artificial intelligence represent an opportunity to accelerate transformative advancements in health care. The $5 million Artificial Intelligence for Medicine and Health Initiative, or AIM+HI, seeks to make Alabama the first state to deliver precision care through safe, ethical artificial intelligence. Workforce training is a significant component of AIM+HI, which will create customizable training modules to build an AI-ready health care workforce in Alabama.
Meanwhile, UAB’s Presidential Faculty Scholars program, supported by $20 million in supplemental state funding in 2023, continues to attract and retain highly funded faculty whose work aligns with UAB’s strategic priorities and expands the institution’s portfolio of principal investigators.
Technology
State funds support strategic investments in cutting-edge technology, accelerating UAB’s ability to remain at the forefront of innovation and improve lives across Alabama and beyond.
UAB’s core research infrastructure will make a leap forward through $2.5 million in supplemental state funding dedicated to research computing and AI initiatives to purchase high-end scientific equipment for UAB’s research core facilities. This investment will open new avenues for scientific investigation and deliver impactful, differentiating new research services to the UAB research community.
Another investment of $2.5 million in clinical trials technology is supporting needed upgrades to expand UAB’s clinical trials enterprise. These include technologies to enhance budgeting, recruitment and accruals monitoring, and much more. Together, these upgrades will allow UAB to bring even more potentially lifesaving trials to Alabama.
At the heart of UAB’s AIM+HI, referenced above, is a digital platform designed to empower both patients and clinicians. The platform will match individuals with the right health care providers, connect them to clinical trials and AI-powered applications tailored to their conditions, and offer medical professionals access to expert knowledge and second opinions on demand. The initiative will begin with a focus on underserved and rural communities, ensuring that those most in need benefit first.
Space
In late October 2025, UAB officially opened the Altec/Styslinger Genomic Medicine and Data Sciences Building, a transformative facility funded in part by a historic $50 million investment from the state of Alabama — the largest ever for a university facility. “This is a signature investment for the state of Alabama and a bold project that will have a real impact on our economy and the long-term health of our citizens far beyond the dollars given,” said Alabama Governor Kay Ivey. “It will stimulate major strides in science and medicine and serve as a wise investment with a great return that serves all Alabamians.”
Other recent investments include $2.5 million in supplemental state funding for Animal Resource Program infrastructure. These funds will enhance the ability of more than 400 investigators in UAB’s research community to conduct cutting-edge, rigorous and reproducible biomedical research. The investment also will attract new external funding and attract additional world-class faculty to UAB.
As part of $7.5 million in supplemental funding for UAB’s Clinical Trials Initiative, $2.5 million has been dedicated to create a new, patient-friendly clinical trials unit for Heersink School of Medicine studies in renovated space in the Spain Rehabilitation Hospital. This space, tailor-made for clinical trials, will include state-of-the-art equipment, dedicated exam rooms, overnight visit rooms, and provider-based space for standard care and research studies. The space also will be significantly easier for participants to access.
Follow the latest updates about the Research Strategic Initiative at uab.edu/research1b.