The research funding patterns at ten doctorate-granting universities across the country were investigated. These universities were classified by the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education as R2: Higher Research Activity institutions. Findings pointed to patterns in funding and research growth and the relationship between research administrators and funded projects. In this mixed-methods study, quantitative and qualitative data were used to examine each of these universities' total award dollars received in FY2017, compare the top three departments funded, and look at how funding may relate to the research administration missions of each research office. Further, the source of research dollars was analyzed, including federal and other external sponsors, and the percentage of proposals submitted versus those awarded. Overall, this paper conceptualizes the complicated, competitive grant process at the university level: in order for administrators to increase access to research dollars, they should understand the funding climate, stay connected to their institutions' community of scholars, and encourage scholars to conduct scholarship that drives opportunity, innovation, and change.