University of Kansas Office of Research

What University of Kansas Office of Research does

The University of Kansas Office of Research is the central research administration unit of the University of Kansas, a public AAU-member state university governed by the Kansas Board of Regents. Founded in its current form through the 1962 incorporation of KU Center for Research Inc. (KUCR) and the 1992 establishment of the KU Medical Center Research Institute (KUMC RI), the office coordinates the full research lifecycle for KU's Lawrence, Edwards, and Medical Center campuses. Its service portfolio spans pre-award proposal preparation and submission, post-award financial management and reporting, contract negotiations, research integrity and compliance oversight (IRB, IACUC, COI, RCR, restricted research), research facilities management, and technology commercialization through the KU Center for Technology Commercialization (KUCTC).

The office's technology stack centers on institutional research administration infrastructure — the Streamlyne proposal management system, eCompliance systems for IRB/IACUC submissions, and financial management systems for sponsored projects — together with shared core research facilities including the Center for Research Computing, Nanofabrication Facility, and molecular analysis cores. It oversees eleven designated university research centers spanning themes such as Achievement & Assessment, Biodiversity, Environmentally Beneficial Catalysis, and others. The office is led by Vice Chancellor for Research Shelley Hooks (appointed 2024) and employs approximately 37 staff across multiple Lawrence campus locations including Strong Hall, Youngberg Hall, Carruth-O'Leary Hall, and the Multidisciplinary Research Building.

Revenue mechanics are institutional rather than commercial: the office administers externally sponsored grants and contracts from federal agencies (NSF, NIH, DOE, DOD), state sources, private foundations, and industry partners, with FY25 research and development expenditures of $610.6 million supporting 5,696 Kansas jobs. Its customer base is internal — KU faculty, research scientists, graduate students, and postdoctoral researchers — with external sponsors and licensees engaged through KUCR and KUCTC. Pricing is not commercially disclosed because services are delivered as university infrastructure funded through sponsored project administration (F&A recovery) rather than market-rate fees.

Name

University of Kansas Office of Research

Legal name

The University of Kansas

Website

https://research.ku.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1865

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The University of Kansas Office of Research is the central research administration unit of the University of Kansas, providing proposal preparation, award management, contract negotiation, compliance oversight, and technology commercialization services to KU faculty, students, and postdocs across the Lawrence, Edwards, and Medical Center campuses.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

University Research Administration Services

NAICS

Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (5416), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Research Administration & Grants Management Support (Pre/Post-Award, Compliance) (EDAEALAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Research Administration & Compliance (Sponsored Programs, IRB/REB) (EDADAKAH), Public Research Universities with Multi-Campus Systems (EDAHAAAI)

Keywords

• Research administration
• Sponsored programs
• Technology transfer
• Research compliance
• University research services

Headquarters

HQ city

Lawrence

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Sponsored Research Administration: The Office of Research administers grants and contracts from federal, state, and private sponsors on behalf of KU researchers. KUCR (KU Center for Research Inc.) and KUMC RI (KU Medical Center Research Institute) are nonprofit foundations that support KU research and clinical trials.
2. Technology Commercialization: The KU Center for Technology Commercialization (KUCTC) manages technology transfer, licensing, and startup support for KU innovations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The KU Office of Research administers the full lifecycle of sponsored research at the University of Kansas, providing pre-award proposal preparation, contract negotiation, post-award financial management, research integrity and compliance oversight (human subjects, animal care, conflicts of interest), and technology commercialization and licensing for faculty-developed IP. The KU Center for Research (KUCR) and KU Center for Technology Commercialization (KUCTC) deliver these services across KU's Lawrence and Medical Center campuses.

Product overview

The University of Kansas Office of Research is a university administrative unit that facilitates research, scholarship, and creative activity rather than a product company. Its core service offerings are organized around research administration through the KU Center for Research (KUCR) foundation and technology commercialization through the KU Center for Technology Commercialization (KUCTC). These operate alongside pre-award proposal services, award management services organized into specialty teams (Biologies & Pharmacy, Engineering & Earth Sciences, Natural Sciences & Technology, Humanities & Cross-Disciplinary, Education & Social Improvement), contract negotiations, research integrity and compliance oversight, and research facilities management. The office also oversees eleven designated research centers and multiple core research laboratories, all coordinated through a Service Level Agreement framework.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• KU Center for Research (KUCR) A nonprofit foundation that administers sponsored programs, grants, and contracts for KU's Lawrence campus, managing research financial services, compliance oversight, and award administration on behalf of KU researchers.
• KU Center for Technology Commercialization (KUCTC) Manages technology transfer, intellectual property protection, licensing, and startup support for KU innovations, connecting university discoveries to existing companies and new ventures via the Rock Chalk Ready Program and other entrepreneurship resources.
• KU Medical Center Research Institute (KUMC RI) A nonprofit foundation that administers federally-funded and privately-funded research projects and clinical trials within the KU Medical Center, supporting joint research administration with the Office of Research.
• Research Administration Services Comprehensive end-to-end research administration services provided to KU faculty, staff, and students, including pre-award proposal preparation, post-award management, contract negotiations, and research compliance oversight for sponsored projects across all disciplines.

Quantifiable outcome

• 5,696 Kansas jobs supported by research expenditures in FY25
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and moderate.

• Kansas NSF EPSCoRcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKansas NSF EPSCoR (Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research) partners with KU Research to support research infrastructure and faculty development. Representatives participate in the Belonging in KU Research Working Group.
• Federal Research SponsorscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal agencies including NSF, NIH, DOE, DOD, and other federal sponsors provide the majority of research funding to KU. The Office of Research administers compliance with federal research requirements.
• Industry PartnersmoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerBusiness and industry outreach through the Office of Research facilitates collaborative research, sponsored agreements, and technology licensing partnerships with companies.
• Association of American Universities (AAU)coreOthersKU is one of 38 U.S. public AAU member institutions. AAU membership positions KU among leading research universities.
• Other Universities and Research InstitutionsmoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative research relationships with other universities and research institutions for joint research projects and knowledge sharing.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Kansas State University Office of Research: Another Kansas-based public research university with a centralized Office of Research managing sponsored programs, compliance, and commercialization—closest geographic and structural peer within the same state system.
• Emory University Office of Technology Transfer: Major private research university's technology transfer office, also part of Cliff Michaels' career history; comparable in commercialization process design and IP management discipline.
• University of Missouri Office of Research: A fellow Big 12 / SEC-adjacent public research university's central research administration office providing pre-award, post-award, compliance, and tech transfer services—directly comparable in function, scale, and constituency.
• University of Georgia Office of Research: Large SEC public research university research administration office; direct functional peer and the prior institution of KU's current Vice Chancellor for Research, ensuring highly comparable operating model.
• Iowa State University Office of Research: Midwest public AAU-adjacent research university operating an analogous Office of Research that administers grants, contracts, and tech transfer—comparable in enterprise scale and federal funding mix.
• Georgia State University Office of Technology Transfer & Commercialization: Academic technology transfer office that was led by KU's current KUCTC executive director before his move to KU—directly comparable in scope of licensing and startup support functions.
• University of Iowa Office of Research: Midwest public research university with centralized research administration, including a notable technology transfer operation—directly comparable in administrative structure and AAU-adjacent positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Association of American Universities (AAU): Membership consortium of 71 leading U.S. and Canadian research universities (38 public); KU participates, making AAU a strategic peer/benchmark for research administration practices and policy advocacy.
• National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of Extramural Research: Largest single source of U.S. biomedical research funding; the policies and systems (e.g., eRA Commons, grants.gov) directly shape KU's research administration workflows and compliance burden.
• National Science Foundation (NSF): Major federal sponsor of KU research and partner via Kansas NSF EPSCoR; NSF's proposal and reporting requirements set baseline processes that the Office of Research operationalizes for KU PIs.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@universityofkansasresearch
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/university-of-kansas-office-of-research
• Instagraminstagram.com/researchatku

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about University of Kansas Office of Research