Established in 1874, about 300 miles from its current location, University of Nevada, Reno began with a single building that contained the president's and registrar's offices, along with classrooms, a library, a museum, and a place of residence for the grounds keeper. This location ultimately was changed because the bulk of the population of Nevada resided in the Carson City, Reno area. This resulted in the permanent move in the year of 1885 from Elko, Nevada to its present location in Reno, Nevada. 

In part, because UNR resides in the fastest-growing state in the country, the University of Nevada, Reno now has over 18,000 students and 900 faculty members with 93-percent of the full-time faculty members having the highest degrees in their fields. The University is ranked as one of the top 120 Universities in America for Funded Research and boasts $80 Million in Research Expenditures. UNR has more than 60 active research centers and facilities and nine colleges with at least three college's involving biology and science programs, including:

• Biology
• Cell and Molecular Biology
• Chemical Physics
• Chemistry
• Ecology
• Evolution, and Conservation Biology
• Geo-Engineering
• Geological Engineering
• Geology
• Geophysics
• Hydrogeology
• Hydrology
• Land Use Planning
• Metallurgical Engineering
• Neuroscience
• Physics
• Statistics

• Agricultural Science
• Biochemistry
• Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
• Biotechnology
• Cell and Molecular Biology
• Ecohydrology
• Ecology
• Evolution, and Conservation Biology
• Environmental Science
• Environmental Sciences and Health
• Natural Resources and Environmental Science
• Rangeland Ecology & Management

• Addiction Treatment
• Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology and Physiology
• Community Health Sciences
• Doctor of Medicine
• Doctor of Medicine: Combined Programs
• Gerontology
• Public Health
• Social Work
• Speech Pathology

Among its more notable areas for research and creative activity are: Genomics and Proteomics. The core laboratory facilities in genomics and proteomics, respectively, support research on campus in the Schools of Medicine and the College of Agriculture, Biotechnology and Natural Resources.

Recent funding levels for UNR were as follows:

• NSF 2009 Funding: (total R&D expenditures in life sciences) = $44,711,000

• NIH 2011 Funding: Direct plus indirect costs but excluding R & D contracts and ARRA awards = $18,127,018

• The University of Nevada School of Medicine’s Department of Physiology and Cell Biology and the Department of Biochemistry, received a $10.2 million, five-year grant from the National Institutes of Health to continue muscle plasticity research.

• University of Nevada, Reno with an $80 million research expenditure, is one of the top 120 universities in America for funded research and is among a growing number of universities which are expanding research opportunities to graduate students, according to the Carnegie Foundation.

• University of Nevada, Reno received a $10 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to study and eventually manipulate the communication between cells that causes human neurological and other diseases.

• The new 59,000 square foot William N. Pennington Health Sciences Building opened in the fall of 2011.

• University of Nevada, Reno's School of Medicine received a $1.6 million grant from the Nell J. Redfield Foundation to impact medical practice and patient treatment ranging from pediatric genetics to AIDS diagnostics.

• University of Nevada, Reno’s total funding for sponsored projects has grown 8-10 percent per year over the past 10 years. See references.