Significant external funding of around $24 million secures UH Hilo
The University of Hawaii (UH) system broke another funding record in the 2025 fiscal year, securing a total of $734 million in external funding. This marks the fourth consecutive year of record-breaking external funding for the university.
UH Hilo, one of the ten campuses within the system, received $23.9 million, a figure that Director of Research and Administrative Operations, Eric Matsunaga, stated is "in the ballpark" of previous years. The funding includes investments from external agencies like the federal government, industry, and nonprofit organisations.
However, publicly available sources do not provide explicit details of specific externally funded environmental or cultural protection projects within UH Hilo's Department of Geography for FY 2025. The Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) announced solicitations in mid-2025 for Native Hawaiian agricultural support programs, which align with Indigenous food systems and economic resilience, but these are not directly linked to UH Hilo’s Department of Geography or described as environmental/cultural protection projects there.
The Department of Geography at UH Hilo received $2.25 million from NOAA in 2025, which is for remote sensing and data modeling to help forecast and monitor the spread of rapid ohia death. Additionally, the department received $1.49 million from the National Park Service for improving high-resolution documentation and identification of cultural resources by remote sensing. The Center for the Study of Active Volcanoes at UH Hilo received $620,873 from the U.S. Geological Survey for research and analysis of volcanic hazards related to Kilauea, Mauna Loa, and Hualalai.
Elsewhere in the system, UH West Oahu was awarded a total of $9.7 million in donations, while the research flagship of the 10-campus university system, UH Manoa, received $570.4 million in funding. Tens of millions of dollars in federal funding were allocated to the UH Cancer Center and UH John A. Burns School of Medicine at UH Manoa. The UH community colleges received a total of $31.3 million in funding.
Governor Josh Green stated that the University of Hawaii is a critical driver of innovation, health, and economic resilience. With the record-breaking funding, the university continues to contribute significantly to these areas, although the specifics of the environmental and cultural protection projects funded by external sources in the Department of Geography at UH Hilo in FY 2025 remain unclear. For confirmed detailed project information, direct inquiry to UH Hilo’s Department of Geography or their grants office may be necessary.
- The University of Hawaii's Department of Geography is involved in environmental science, receiving $2.25 million from NOAA in 2025 for remote sensing and data modeling to help forecast and monitor climate-change related issues like rapid ohia death.
- The University of Hawaii's community, including UH Hilo, West Oahu, and Manoa, is heavily investing in education and self-development, with a focus on health, as seen by the funding given to the UH Cancer Center and UH John A. Burns School of Medicine.
- The University of Hawaii's research flagship, UH Manoa, has received tens of millions of dollars in federal funding, demonstrating its commitment to online education, scientific research, and innovation.
- The University of Hawaii's Department of Geography also received funding from the National Park Service for improving high-resolution documentation and identification of cultural resources by remote sensing, contributing to environmental-science and cultural preservation.
- The University of Hawaii's usage of external funding extends beyond just the educational institution, with parts of the funding being allocated for projects that benefit the broader community, such as Native Hawaiian agricultural support programs and research on volcanic hazards.
