Economic Impact of Health Research

Investment: Funding sources for overall research and development (2004)

Source of R&D Funding Investment State Rank
Federal Government $461,300,000 30
Industry $4,300,000** 49
Universities $43,100,000 37
Non-profit $4,600,000 41
Other * $7,100,000 44
Total $1,840,300,000 29

* Other represents funding from state and local governments and funding for Federally Funded Research and Development Centers from non-federal sources.
**Incomplete data on R&D performed by industry.

Source: National Science Foundation, National Patterns of R&D Resources , 2006


Economic Impact: Statistics for research-driven health industries (2004)

Industry Employment Annual Salary
Pharmaceutical 1,533 $83,354
Medical Device 1,465 $40,752
Research, Testing, and Laboratories 1,332 $62,382
Overall Private Sector  $35,959

Source: Battelle Memorial Institute and Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO), Growing the Nation's Biotech Sector: State Bioscience Inititives 2006


Highlights from local economic impact studies

The Association of American Medical Colleges reports that the member medical schools and teaching hospitals in the state had a combined economic impact of $3.7 billion and a total employment impact of 25,100 in 2005.

In 2005, Brown University supported more than 7,500 Rhode Island jobs and accounted for $753 million in statewide economic output. Research at Brown led to more than 22 start-up companies between 2000 and 2005.

For every dollar in state support, the University of Rhode Island generated $5 in return in 2002. URI generated $518 million in statewide economic activity in 2002 and spent $60.4 million on research in 2003.