UNC Charlotte has joined the ranks of the country’s elite doctoral research universities, now that it has been awarded R1 research status by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education.
“What that means is that more will come because now we have been recognized in this way and it gives us opportunities that we might not have been situated with in the past,” UNC Charlotte Chancellor Sharon L. Gaber said.
The R1 research designation has been given to 187 doctoral universities that have a strong commitment to research and numerous, active innovative research projects. East Carolina was also given R1 status, bringing the number statewide to five. The others designated in past years include UNC-Chapel Hill, NC State and Duke University.
Gaber said UNC Charlotte's designation means it will be able to secure more federal grants and partnerships with businesses as well as attract and retain top faculty.
“I think it will also mean a lot for graduate students who want to get their graduate degree at a very high research university, and even for undergraduate students," Gaber said. "It’s important that they have the ability to do research.”
R1 universities must spend at least $50 million on research and development and have a minimum of 70 research doctorate graduates each year. UNC Charlotte officials say they have an average of 160 doctoral graduates annually and spend more than $90 million on research projects. Gaber says projects range from studies on cancer and gene mutation to vehicle battery and AI research.
“One of the stories we have right now is a researcher who has come up with a new, innovative way to screen those chemicals in water, forever chemicals to get that out and that will help in lots of rural areas and underdeveloped countries. Now they are looking into the commercialization of that,” Gaber said.
Although UNC Charlotte is heavy on research, Gaber says undergraduate students are involved in the projects to ensure a balance between research and classroom instruction.
“We’re making sure that there is a healthy balance of not allowing our undergraduate students to suffer while they are doing excellent research. I do realize that is happening at some universities, but we are really pleased that there has been a careful balance of it (at UNC Charlotte).” Gaber said.
