$108B and Counting: Why Universities Need a Storefront Strategy Now
Research spending is at an all-time high, yet many core services remain buried in outdated systems. Learn how GRAVL creates a modern storefront that makes research infrastructure visible, accessible, and sustainable.
3 minute read
9/2/2025
GRAVL Team
Higher education R&D just topped $108.8 billion, growing over 11% in a single year, according to the latest HERD survey from the NSF. But despite this record-breaking spend, most research services remain locked behind outdated workflows, internal-facing systems, and administrative bottlenecks.
We’re pouring money into R&D, but failing to unlock its full commercial or scientific potential.
The Scale Is Growing, But the Front Door Is Still Closed
The HERD report makes it clear: institutions are investing like never before. Over half of that funding is federal, and internal university funds are also on the rise. But from the outside looking in, it’s still too hard for a biotech company, or even a researcher across campus to find and request core services.
As one core director at ABRF put it:
“We’re spending millions upgrading instruments, but you still have to email someone to use them.”
That’s the problem GRAVL is solving.
A Toast Moment for Research
Just like Toast transformed restaurant operations and Shopify empowered independent retailers, GRAVL is giving institutions a scalable, modern storefront for their research infrastructure. Our goal isn’t just to digitize, it’s to unify access, automate backend workflows, and position cores to thrive in a world where demand, not reimbursement, drives sustainability.
One overheard comment at ABRF summed up the urgency:
"If we want cores to be sustainable, they have to be findable.”
This isn’t just a user experience problem. It’s a funding survival issue.
From Volume to Visibility
HERD breaks down funding by field, agency, and type, but one thing it doesn’t show? Service-level utilization. Who’s using what? When? For how long? How much capacity is underutilized, or oversubscribed?
That’s where GRAVL comes in.
By giving institutions real-time visibility into usage, billing, and demand across facilities, we’re enabling them to:
- Improve cost recovery through direct, billable services.
- Surface capacity for external partnerships.
- Standardize data outputs for AI-driven discovery.
The Time to Act Is Now
Universities are asking: how do we make core facilities sustainable? HERD’s data points to one answer, you can’t scale what you can’t see. The $108B opportunity isn’t just about doing more R&D. It’s about unlocking what’s already there.
Let’s stop hiding our research infrastructure behind PDF forms and internal politics.
Let’s give it a storefront.
Launching new core services is often slowed down by emails, web updates, and forms but GRAVL makes it instant. With configurable forms, tiered pricing, media uploads, and built-in publishing, you can list a new service and make it requestable in under 10 minutes.
GRAVL Team
9/23/2025
6 min read
Learn how GRAVL replaces spreadsheets and email chains with a centralized dashboard for real-time order tracking, PO approvals, and results delivery, giving core facilities clearer oversight and faster workflows.
GRAVL Team
9/16/2025
5 min read
Discover how academic cores can attract biotech clients by improving visibility, streamlining submissions, and offering flexible payments, small changes that expand reach beyond campus and strengthen sustainability
GRAVL Team
9/9/2025
5 min read
Shrinking overhead reimbursements are forcing cores to rethink funding. Learn how reclassifying expenses into direct, billable costs with GRAVL creates predictable budgets, compliance, and long-term sustainability.
GRAVL Team
8/26/2025
3 minute read
As core consolidation accelerates, many institutions still lack the data and tools to guide decisions. See how GRAVL enables a unified, data-driven view that streamlines operations without adding chaos.
Gabor Bethlendy
8/19/2025
5 minute read
Cross-sector collaboration depends on access to labs, equipment, and facilities, yet these assets often stay hidden behind complexity. Learn how GRAVL envisions a digital marketplace that makes research infrastructure visible and accessible.
GRAVL Team
8/12/2025
3 minute read
Genome centers have world-class science but outdated external access. GRAVL adds a modern storefront layer transparent, auditable, and fast without overhauling existing systems.
GRAVL Team
8/5/2025
5 minute read
Basic research saves lives, but universities still keep their most valuable tools locked in silos. It’s time to build the infrastructure that makes scientific resources as accessible as cloud computing.
Gabor Bethlendy
7/22/2025
5 minute read
Universities face growing financial pressure, and CFOs are looking beyond tuition. Digital platforms that unlock core facility revenue can drive efficiency, resilience, and long-term sustainability.
GRAVL Team
7/22/2025
5 minute read
University websites showcase research facilities but block real access. To attract talent, partners, and revenue, institutions need modern commerce-style platforms, not dead-end links.
Gabor Bethlendy
7/15/2025
7 minute read
Ready to see GRAVL in action?
Discover how GRAVL helps you boost visibility, reduce admin work, and capture new revenue streams.
