The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the American Council on Education recently unveiled new research classifications for educational institutions. Among these is the new category of “Research Colleges and Universities,” which honors institutions that annually allocate at least $2.5 million towards research and development.

This change aims to recognize institutions that actively engage in research but have not traditionally been acknowledged for their contributions to scholarship through sponsored projects. For the University of Northern Iowa: a regional, comprehensive university, this designation opens doors to a wide range of opportunities, partnerships, and collaborations.

At UNI, the office at the forefront of supporting similar research efforts is Research and Sponsored Programs. Their mission is to work alongside principal investigators and Centers to secure and administer sponsored funding; while ensuring compliance with funding and research regulations, policies, and procedures. UNI was reclassified in the Carnegie Classification as a Research College and University because in FY23 UNI expended $4.6 million in research funding.  In FY24 UNI was awarded nearly $6 million in new research funding, which was nearly double the awarded research funding from FY23. 

This new designation is a testament to UNI's commitment to advancing research and fostering innovation which opens up exciting possibilities for our campus and the broader community.