Indiana University Indianapolis has accomplished a major goal of the IUPUI split.
The university announced Thursday that IU Indianapolis is now considered an R1 institution, an elite classification given to the top U.S. research universities who spend at least $50 million in research annually and award at least 70 doctoral degrees each year.
“It’s recognition based on measurable, tangible outcomes,” said Latha Ramchand, IU Indianapolis chancellor. “This is a place where some really important work happens.”
The recognition came from the American Council on Education, which ranks U.S. colleges through its Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education.
IU leaders say the designation affirms their goals to serve Indy and the wider state. As Indiana invests heavily in manufacturing, STEM and life sciences, IU Indianapolis is upping its focus on those high-demand fields, especially health and biosciences. By investing in research, IU hopes that more college students will stay in Indiana and work after graduation, which is also a policy priority for Indiana’s education leaders.
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But while IU Indianapolis’ efforts have the support of Republican leaders in Indiana, it appears to be a different story in Washington, D.C.
In late January, President Donald Trump issued, then rescinded, an executive order which would have paused nearly all federal funding, including at colleges and universities.
Last week, the Trump administration attempted to slash billions in grants from the National Institutes of Health. Though temporarily blocked by a federal judge, those cuts would have a huge impact on medical research in Indianapolis.
For researchers like Mangilal Agarwal, federal grants are crucial to getting projects off the ground, and, he said, that funding has real-world impact.
“Research is trying to find a solution,” said Agarwal, who’s researching noninvasive cancer detection technology. “You never know what will work. If it works, then definitely the payback is much, much higher than what is invested in this high-risk project.”
Now that IU Indianapolis has attained elite research status, Agarwal said he hopes more talented, research-driven students will move to Indianapolis.
“That’s the next generation that we want to train,” Agarwal said.
And no matter the challenges confronting research universities right now, Ramchand said that research is at the heart of IU Indianapolis’ mission, and the university will not end its commitment to exploring solutions, especially in health.
“We will never give up on that kind of research,” Ramchand said. “We need to figure out a way to continue to invest in that, knowing the new rules that we have to play by.”
Claire Rafford covers higher education for Mirror Indy in partnership with Open Campus. Contact Claire by email claire.rafford@mirrorindy.org, on most social media @clairerafford or on Signal 317-759-0429.
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