West Virginia University Research Corporation
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
TO FOSTER AND SUPPORT RESEARCH AT WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY (WVU) AND TO PROVIDE EVALUATION, DEVELOPMENT, PATENTING, MANAGEMENT AND MARKETING SERVICES FOR INVENTIONS BY THE FACULTY, STAFF, AND STUDENTS OF WVU.
- Income
- $186.1 million
- Spending
- $182.0 million
- Spent on programs
- 93%
- Reserves
- -0.8 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- government grants, 78%
- Employees
- 690
- Volunteers
- 0
- Highest pay
- $2.0 million, director
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Weak: 45 out of 100. Higher than 12% of charities in its peer group (education, over $100m).
Reserves
0 of 35Spendable reserves are negative: it owes or has committed more than it holds.
Debt
5 of 20It owes 67% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 2% of income.
Income trend
10 of 15Income fell 6% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1593% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Good: 80 out of 100. Higher than 5% of charities in its peer group (education, over $100m).
Independent board
5 of 250 of 8 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (1)
- $169.6 million spent. SEE SCHEDULE OIN 1985, THE WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY RESEARCH CORPORATION (RESEARCH CORPORATION) WAS CREATED IN ACCORDANCE WITH WEST VIRGINIA STATE LAW AND WITH THE EXPRESSED PURPOSE TO FOSTER AND SUPPORT RESEARCH AT WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY (UNIVERSITY). THE RESEARCH CORPORATION IS ORGANIZED EXCLUSIVELY FOR CHARITABLE, EDUCATIONAL, AND SCIENTIFIC PURPOSES, INCLUDING FOR SUCH PURPOSES: (1) TO FOSTER AND SUPPORT RESEARCH AT WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY; AND(2) TO PROVIDE EVALUATION, DEVELOPMENT, PATENTING, MANAGEMENT, AND MARKETING SERVICES FOR INVENTIONS BY THE FACULTY, STAFF, AND STUDENTS OF WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY.RESEARCH IS AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE UNIVERSITY'S MISSION AND THE RESEARCH CORPORATION FACILITATES THIS MISSION THROUGH ITS ROLE AS A FISCAL AGENT FOR SPONSORED PROJECTS. THE RESEARCH CORPORATION ALSO USES ITS UNIQUE STATUS TO MAXIMIZE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER IN ADDITION TO ITS ECONOMIC AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT FUNCTIONS. ONE IMPORTANT INDICATION OF THIS SUCCESS IS THE UNIVERSITY'S CLASSIFICATION AS AN R1, DOCTORAL UNIVERSITY - HIGHEST RESEARCH ACTIVITY, BY THE CARNEGIE FOUNDATION. CURRENTLY, THERE ARE 187 INSTITUTIONS RECOGNIZED AS AN R1 INSTITUTION AND 135 OF THEM ARE PUBLIC. WVU HAS MAINTAINED A CARNEGIE R1 STATUS SINCE 2016. SPONSORED AWARD EXPENDITURES CAME IN AT $264 MILLION FOR FISCAL YEAR 2025, WITH $132 MILLION COMING FROM FEDERAL AGENCIES (IN FISCAL YEAR 2024 THE NUMBERS WERE $275 MILLION AND $128 MILLION). AS A RESULT OF THIS GROWTH, THE EFFECTIVE FACILITIES AND ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS ("F&A") RECOVERED INCREASED FROM 25.6 TO 26.5. THE EFFECTIVE F&A RECOVERY RATE INCREASED FROM 18.7% TO 19.8%.COMPARING FISCAL YEAR 2025 TO FISCAL YEAR 2024 FOR OUR PRIMARY FEDERAL RESEARCH SPONSORS:DOE FUNDED EXPENDITURES DECREASED FROM $19.8 MILLION TO $16.2 MILLIONHHS FUNDED EXPENDITURES INCREASED FROM $50.4 MILLION TO $54.6 MILLIONUSDA FUNDED EXPENDITURES INCREASED FROM $7.7 MILLION TO $8 MILLIONNASA FUNDED EXPENDITURES DECREASED FROM $7.7 MILLION TO $6.5 MILLIONNSF FUNDED EXPENDITURES DECREASED FROM $14.1 MILLION TO $14 MILLIONINVESTMENTS IN IMPROVING THE COMPETITIVENESS OF THE FACULTY THROUGH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF PROGRAMS BY THE RESEARCH OFFICE IS CONTINUING TO YIELD A NOTICEABLE RETURN IN TERMS OF THE DOLLAR VALUE OF NEW AWARDS. THE MOST EFFECTIVE OF THESE INVESTMENTS REMAINS THE PROGRAM TO STIMULATE COMPETITIVE RESEARCH, PROVIDING SUPPORT TO ENSURE THAT RESUBMITTED PROPOSALS HAVE A SIGNIFICANTLY ENHANCED PROBABILITY OF SUCCESS; AND AN INTERNAL NATIONAL INSTITUTES HEALTH (NIH) STYLE STUDY SECTION AT OUR HEALTH SCIENCES CENTER (HSC), PROVIDING SCIENTIFIC REVIEW OF GRANT APPLICATIONS PRIOR TO EXTERNAL SUBMISSION TO INCREASE COMPETITIVENESS. THE UNIVERSITY'S FOCUS ON AREAS SUCH AS NEUROSCIENCE, CANCER, ENERGY AND SUSTAINABILITY, AND AEROSPACE IS YIELDING MANY OF THE INCREASES NOTED ABOVE. ADDITIONALLY, WE HAVE RECEIVED $50 MILLION FROM THE STATE OF WEST VIRGINIA TO INVEST IN AND GROW OUR CANCER INSTITUTE'S RESEARCH CAPABILITIES. FINALLY, IT SHOULD ALSO BE NOTED THAT THE OUR F&A RECOVERY HAS GROWN BY OVER $16 MILLION SINCE 2020.WHILE THE UNIVERSITY AND THE RESEARCH CORPORATION FINDS ITSELF IN A VERY DYNAMIC FUNDING ENVIRONMENT, BOTH ARE DEPLOYING INNOVATIVE STRATEGIES TO EXPAND THE QUANTITY AND QUALITY OF FUNDING FOR THE RESEARCH ENTERPRISE FROM ALL SOURCES AND LOOKS FORWARD TO CONTINUED SUCCESS IN THE FUTURE.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending June 2025.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since February 1987.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 21, 2026.
Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.