Carnegie Lists UA among Elite Research Institutions

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The Carnegie Classification lists The University of Alabama among the top doctoral research universities in the United States in a new classification released this week.

For the first time in its history, UA achieved Doctoral Universities – Very High Research Activity status, formerly known as the R1 category, in the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. This is the nation’s highest level of research activity for institutions that grant doctoral degrees. Research funding, research staff and the number of doctoral graduates are among the criteria used in determining Carnegie classifications.

“Achieving Carnegie’s very high research activity classification demonstrates The University of Alabama’s increased emphasis on research and scholarship productivity and innovation that impacts economic and societal development,” said UA President Stuart R. Bell. “Our transformational faculty and staff are investing their talents, ingenuity and sheer determination to ensure our efforts enrich our three-pronged mission of teaching, research and service.”

External grants and contracts for research, instruction, service and fellowship reached record levels for UA in fiscal year 2018. Research awards have grown by 85 percent over the last five years.

“This achievement is a long-time goal of The University of Alabama and its strategic plan,” said Dr. John Higginbotham, UA interim vice president for research and economic development and associate vice president for research. “This is another indication The University of Alabama’s research initiatives are headed in the right direction and that our forward-thinking approach is successfully covering new ground as we find innovative ways of serving our state and nation.”

UA also holds the Carnegie designation as a Community Engaged Institution.

“All of the metrics for research productivity, scholarship and creativity at The University of Alabama are rapidly accelerating in concert with its mission as the state’s flagship university,” said Dr. Russell Mumper, UA’s incoming vice president for research and economic development. “UA is both promoting student-centered research and becoming the go-to university partner for public agencies and private entities that seek solutions to complex problems that can be addressed in collaboration with UA.”

Research pervades all of The University of Alabama’s 13 schools and colleges. UA is a strong advocate of promoting collaboration and interdisciplinary research initiatives that involve faculty, students, industry and community from across campus, from across the state and from around the world.

The Carnegie Commission on Higher Education developed the Carnegie Classification of colleges and universities in 1970 to support its program of research and policy analysis. Produced by an Indiana University research center, the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education is said to be the most comprehensive review of educational institutions in the United States.