MSU Retains Its “R1″ Research Rating

BOZEMAN – Montana State University remains one of the top research universities in the country, according to classifications published by the Indiana University Center for Postsecondary Research’s Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education.

MSU has again been designated an R1 university for its very high research activity. Only 146 institutions in the nation received R1 classifications, and among them, MSU and Utah State University are the only two that also have an enrollment profile of “very high undergraduate.”

The R1 classification was developed by the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education and originally published in 1973. It is based on factors including research expenditures, staffing and the number of doctorates awarded. MSU was designated an R1 institution from 2006 through 2015  and regained the distinction in 2019.

“This designation is a testament to the hard work put in by remarkable faculty, researchers, students and staff across campus who are committed to advancing the MSU research enterprise,” said Jason Carter, MSU’s vice president of research, economic development and graduate education. “To continue to have MSU recognized as Carnegie R1 only motivates us to continue that research and scholarly excellence.”

MSU announced in September that, for the third year in a row, it had recorded an all-time high for research expenditures, with more than $193 million for the fiscal year ending in June 2021. That was a 16% increase over the previous year’s record, as reported to the National Science Foundation. Research expenditures at MSU have topped $100 million per year for more than a decade.

“Montana State’s successes in research are thanks to the efforts of many people across our campus and across the state of Montana,” said university President Waded Cruzado. “We are fortunate to have a group of dedicated individuals and partners who understand the intrinsic value of research and the creation of art. These endeavors, as we have said for years, can change lives and benefit our communities and society.”

 That sentiment is encapsulated in MSU’s strategic plan, “Choosing Promise,” which includes goals of expanding interdisciplinary scholarship and graduate education, among others. Carter also said that MSU’s research has striven to substantially address the “grand challenges” identified in MSU’s strategic plan, including community wellness, food and fuel security, and environmental stewardship.

 MSU research is well known for its engagement of undergraduate students in research and is a national leader in securing prestigious Goldwater Scholarships. A total of 82 MSU students have won the award, the nation’s premier scholarship for undergraduates studying math, natural sciences and engineering. In addition, this past December, MSU senior Mayuri Singh was one of just 151 students named as a 2022 Schwarzman Scholar. Also in the past year, three MSU graduates drew upon their undergraduate research experiences to win NSF Graduate Research Fellowships, and three current MSU graduate students also won that award. And numerous MSU graduate students and postdoctoral researchers won prestigious awards, including the Ford Fellowship .

- by MSU News Service -