Top Ten Research and Innovation Storylines of 2025 at Ohio State

At Ohio State we lead with purpose, creating solutions the world needs now. During 2025, more resources poured into the university in turn, creating more discoveries and impact.

Ohio State leading in Artificial Intelligence

Leadership in artificial intelligence is a key part of President Walter “Ted” Carter Jr.’s Education for Citizenship 2035 strategic plan – so much so that several large-scale programs in AI are underway. Most notably, the launch of the AI^(X) Hub at The Ohio Sate University, or AI to the power of X. This university-wide hub will span 15 colleges and unlock the exponential possibilities that emerge when AI is fused with expertise across six strategic pillars (X): foundations, health, engineering and sciences, agriculture, cybersecurity and trustworthy AI.Led by Ness Shroff, Ohio Eminent Scholar and internationally recognized expert in AI and networking, the hub positions Ohio State as a global leader in both foundational and translational AI research. Related stories:

One man holds an award surrounded by three other men

First Agostini Prize awarded

Liang-Shih Fan, Distinguished University Professor and C. John Easton Professor in Engineering in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, was named the first recipient of Ohio State’s Pierre Agostini Prize. The prize is Ohio State’s most prestigious honor for scholarly and artistic achievement. It is awarded annually to a faculty member whose research or creative work is recognized by peers as so groundbreaking and influential that it deserves to be called “world-class” and would typically be recognized through national or international awards. Fan’s research focuses on creating cleaner, more efficient ways to produce energy, fuels and chemicals while reducing pollution.

New record high set in research expenditures

Ohio State reported more than $1.58 billion in research expenditures for fiscal year 2024 – a new university record that represents an increase of more than 9% from the previous year. The university’s research and development expenditures have more than doubled since fiscal year 2012 and increased more than $600 million over the past four years. Said President Walter “Ted” Carter Jr.: “I’m proud that we keep company with the nation’s leading institutions, but even more impressive to me is the impact behind our numbers. Ohio State research and innovation in technology, health care, agriculture and so many other areas is an engine for growth that keeps our state and our communities competitive. The work done by our teams changes and saves the lives of Ohioans – the true measure of excellence for a land-grant university like ours.”

man speaking at podium about his startup

Startup successes

From the spark of an idea to real-world impact, we fuel startup success through a powerful combination of resources, expertise and infrastructure. More than 100 startups have launched from university research in the past decade alone, and several Ohio State startups have made an impact in their fields this year. StormImpact, an AI company founded by Steven Quiring that predicts the risk of storms, wildfires, and floods for utility infrastructure was acquired by Urbint. City Therapeutics, founded on Kotaro Nakanishi’s research, secured $1 billion in collaboration with Biogen. Neucore Bio, founded on technology developed by Daniel Gallego-Perez and Natalia Higuita-Castro, received a $350,000 STTR Phase I grant to evaluate the Company’s targeted exosome platform to deliver an RNA-based therapy to treat a progressively debilitating genetic neuromuscular disorder.

a professor and five students standing outside of a zero gravity airplane

Space research taking off at Ohio State

Ohio State is on the forefront of the next generation of space research – and it spans many areas of the university. Ohio State researchers are working to enable advanced space missions to the farthest reaches of the solar system. New research from Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Professor Mrinal Kumar could help better track and maintain custody of our orbital assets, keeping spaceflight and satellite operations safe and sustainable. Voyager will also be building the first nation’s first science park dedicated to in-space research and innovation at Ohio State. Related stories:

John M. Horack named VP of Research and leader of ERIK

John M. Horack was named as the university’s new vice president for research in September. Horack has decades of experience in research in the public and private sectors, including a stint at NASA, where he conducted pioneering research in astrophysics and cosmology. He joined Ohio State's faculty in 2016 and holds the inaugural Neil A. Armstrong Chair in Aerospace Policy. “John is a preeminent scholar, collaborator and visionary leader who shares our aspirations for research excellence at Ohio State,” Provost Ravi V. Bellamkonda said. “With deep experience in academia, industry and the public sector, he will be instrumental in helping us achieve our ambitious research goals and solidify Ohio State’s position as a national leader in life-changing and life-saving research.”

buildings in the innovation district at ohio state

Ohio State’s innovation district grows

The Innovation District at Ohio State began as a way to accelerate collaboration between the public, private and academic sectors — collaboration with the power to nurture our region, from economic success to health to social and cultural vibrance. During 2025, the district continued to grow to meet this bold vision, adding a research lab for Ohio State startup, Koloma, as well as welcoming Ohio Life Sciences. Coming next, plans are underway for a new Commercialization and Entrepreneurship Center, next to the Pelotonia Research Center and the Energy Advancement and Innovation Center, which will be a multi-tenant building that includes space for life sciences companies and the future home of the Center for Software Innovation.

Large research awards fuel discovery and impact

Discovery is driven by collaborations that drive the biggest advances and uncover the brightest ideas. Ohio State researchers earned several large research awards in 2025 – awards that aim to discover solutions the world needs now to improve lives. Related stories:

room of colleagues applauding for a woman

Faculty excellence celebrated

Each year, ERIK recognizes two key groups of researchers for excellence – Distinguished Scholars and Innovators of the Year. The Distinguished Scholar Awards are among the highest annual honors Ohio State bestows on a faculty member in recognition of outstanding scholarly activity, research or creative works. Honored in 2025 were Distinguished Scholars Bryan Carstens, Danielle Fosler-Lussier, Shan-Lu Liu, Michael Neblo, Dehua Pei and Brian Roe as well as Early Career Distinguished Scholars Arya Ansari, Harry Chao and Parvati Singh. At the 2025 Research and Innovation Showcase, Sanjay Krishna was named as Ohio State’s Innovator of the Year; Eduardo Reátegui was named Early Career Innovator of the Year and Ian Harris was named Next Generation Innovator of the Year.

Celebrating 25 years of a model university-industry partnership

Ohio State and Honda celebrated 25 years of collaboration that has produced more than $130 million in philanthropy and sponsored research, supported over 400 research projects and created hands-on learning opportunities for thousands of students. The partnership, recognized as one of the nation’s strongest examples of industry-university collaboration, continues to advance research, education and workforce development that benefit both organizations and the state of Ohio “Because of the strong foundation we’ve built, our students, researchers and Honda associates can innovate together in ways that make a real impact across Ohio and beyond,” said Alissa Comella, co-director of the Honda–Ohio State Partnership. Related stories: