The Scientist magazine has ranked UAB as 5th in the "Top 15 U.S. Academic Institutions," up from 47th in 2007. The dramatic jump coincides with UAB's cross-collaborative culture in which researchers collaborate with other departments to create a truly multi-disciplinary setting.
This ranking is based on polls from 2,300 scientists from 54 U.S. institutions, who rated their working environments on 41 criteria in eight areas.
UAB ranks 27th in total federal research funding, with nearly $300 million in annual government grants, and has 3,000 full-time life science researchers, the largest number in the Top 15 rankings.