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This month, Indiana University reached a position unmatched by any other institution of higher education in the state. On Feb. 13, IU Indianapolis received a Research 1 designation, joining the IU Bloomington campus and making IU the only university in the state and one of only an elite few nationwide with multiple R1 campuses.
Reaching this position is no small feat: The Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education presents the R1 designation as its highest designation, a tier reserved for institutions with major levels of research and development and a high number of annual doctorate graduates.
The milestone is a key indicator of future success for IU Indianapolis. Being named an R1 institution strengthens a university’s ability to recruit top-tier faculty and attract competitive research funding—and that’s also good for our capital city.
Through strategic investments in research, IU is changing the landscape of Indianapolis by expanding the ecosystem for innovation and discovery. The Institute of Human Health and Wellbeing, one of two new bioscience institutes at IU Indianapolis, will spur scientific breakthroughs that will address health disparities to improve the quality of life for people in Indiana and around the globe. Interdisciplinary research will emphasize approaches that integrate biological, social and environmental factors to address complex human health challenges around addiction, determinants of health and human performance.
The collaborations among researchers, students and industry partners at the recently announced IU Launch Accelerator for Biosciences, or IU LAB—supported by a $138 million Lilly Endowment Inc. grant—will lead to the commercialization of new products and draw new industries to the city. And projects that merge the arts and humanities with science and technology are transforming the artistic landscape of our city, from the creation of an AI program that autonomously accompanies musicians to research into new, more sustainable materials for audio production and recording.
Our drive to have IU Indianapolis become the nation’s premier urban research institution will have real-world impacts on the Hoosiers who choose to live and grow their businesses in the state capital. As an R1 university, opportunities for IU Indianapolis students to work alongside some of the nation’s top researchers will only grow. These unique, hands-on experiences will prepare them for jobs in critical sectors including health care, biotechnology and artificial intelligence. Historically, 90% of graduates from IU’s Indianapolis campus have stayed in the state after graduation. Hoosiers will benefit from the skills gained by our graduates during their time here.
But IU Indianapolis won’t make these major moves alone. Industry and community partnership will be critical to making possible the true potential of the R1 campus. So if you’re looking to be part of the next major innovation, partner with us at IU LAB. If you’re in need of a pipeline of talent skilled in biosciences or artificial intelligence or business management, connect with our students. If you want to change the lives of Hoosiers and people across the globe through cutting-edge research, join our faculty and staff.
R1 status is not the end goal for IU Indianapolis, but it represents a key marker in our accelerating progress. We will continue striving toward the goals outlined in the IU 2030 Strategic Plan, which prioritizes transformative research and creativity, student success and opportunity, and service to our state and beyond. By aligning research investment and innovation with the needs of our state, we will shape a future that will benefit Hoosiers for generations to come.•
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Whitten is president of Indiana University.
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