UW ranked fourth largest research spender in nation

The University of Wisconsin-Madison spent the fourth-highest amount of money nationally on research for the 2011 fiscal year.

This year the National Science Foundation’s survey, which is conducted annually, involved 912 schools. UW-Madison dropped a spot after ranking third in 2010. Johns Hopkins University topped the list, followed by the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor and the University of Washington at Seattle.

Despite losing a spot on the list, UW-Madison has ranked among the top five institutions on the list for more than 20 years, according to a statement released by the university.

The survey includes money spent in numerous categories, including engineering, business, social science, arts and humanities.