Kansas City, MO, Feb. 13, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The University of Missouri-Kansas City reached a historic milestone as Kansas City’s first Carnegie R1 institution, a prestigious designation that reflects years of dedication to research, innovation and community collaboration. With this achievement, UMKC joins an elite group of U.S. institutions reshaping the future of discovery and education.
“This milestone is a huge victory for all of the Kansas City area and its top research university,” said UMKC Chancellor Mauli Agrawal. “We’ve seen a steady and rapid rise in the excellence of UMKC, thanks to the incredible hard work and drive of our faculty, students, staff and community partners.”
Of the more than 2,800 four-year institutions, only 187 universities - about 6% - are R1, according to a Carnegie news release.
Achieving the Carnegie R1 classification comes five years ahead of the 2030 goal set in the university’s strategic plan. This elite status represents a transformative era for UMKC, Kansas City and the broader region.
“University research allows us to develop cutting-edge solutions to real-life societal problems that can lead to innovation and change around the world,” said UMKC Vice Chancellor for Research Sumeet Dua. “It trains students in critical reasoning and problem-solving skills, partners with industry and government to address national and global issues and fosters a culture of curiosity and collaboration on campus and in the community—thanks to the dedication and expertise of our faculty, who serve as mentors, innovators and thought leaders, driving this mission forward.”
Local and regional leaders are celebrating the UMKC R1 designation as a game-changer for Kansas City
- Quinton Lucas, mayor of Kansas City: "UMKC's achievement of R1 status draws national attention to the groundbreaking work taking place in Kansas City. This accolade strengthens UMKC and Kansas City's reputation as an educational leader and a driver of innovation, showcasing the dedication and impact of its faculty, researchers and students."
- Tim Cowden, president and CEO of Kansas City Area Development Council: “R1 status elevates Kansas City on the world stage, attracting businesses, creating high-paying jobs and fostering a competitive edge in the global marketplace.”
- DeAngela Burns-Wallace, president and CEO of the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation: “Carnegie R1 status enhances UMKC’s ability to address critical issues, like access to opportunity and fostering entrepreneurial ecosystems, that are central to our work. The university’s dedication to innovative, community-driven research will amplify efforts to create a more dynamic Kansas City economy.”
- Mun Choi, president of the University of Missouri System: “Achieving Carnegie Research 1 classification is an incredible honor for UMKC and the entire UM System. Chancellor Agrawal, along with dedicated faculty and staff at UMKC, have worked hard to meet the requirements necessary for this remarkable accomplishment. We are proud to now have three R1 institutions within the UM System, which will transform our outreach and impact across the state.”
- Todd Graves, chair of the UM Board of Curators: "This is a landmark day for the University of Missouri-Kansas City as it joins the ranks of the nation’s top research institutions. The Board of Curators applauds this achievement. With this R1 designation, UMKC reaffirms its commitment to advancing knowledge, fostering innovation and making a lasting impact in Missouri and beyond."
To be a Carnegie R1 university, an institution must spend at least $50 million on research and development and award at least 70 research doctorates on average in a single year. UMKC spent $55 million, and awarded 134 doctorates.
UMKC key research areas are advancing healthcare, defense and more with specialties in electromagnetic radiation and energy; advanced and critical materials; unmanned platforms; artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and data science and digital humanities.
Five examples of high-caliber research at UMKC
- UMKC is leading a national study to combat rising maternal mortality rate, focusing on pregnant women with heart conditions. John Spertus, MD, one of the country’s leading health outcomes researchers, is co-primary investigator on the grant, the highest National Institutes of Health funding in UMKC history: $8.3 million
- As a finalist for a National Science Foundation Regional Innovation Engines Type II Award, UMKC has the opportunity to receive funding of up to $160 million over 10 years. This is a large-scale effort to bring jobs and manufacturing critical materials that we rely upon from other countries back to the U.S. This initiative will create thousands of high-paying jobs, launch 70 new businesses and boost our regional economy by $17 billion by 2035. This effort boosts America’s economic and national security by reducing reliance on foreign supply chains and positioning UMKC as a national leader in sustainable technology.
- The Mellon Foundation awarded UMKC $4 million to create the Kansas City Monuments Coalition to help fund 16 preservation and commemorative organizations across Kansas City so visitors can enjoy historic sites for years to come. Locations include UMKC, the city of Kansas City itself plus classic points-of-interest local residents will recognize from childhood field trips such as Fort Osage National Historic Site, Missouri Town and the Wornall-Majors House Museums.
- Conservatory Professor Amy Robertson is studying how music therapy – singing lullabies – to extremely young premature babies can lead to better health outcomes, including reducing brain bleeds, so infants can thrive and reduce their time in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit—or NICU—to go home earlier.
- The American Association of Psychology featured the research of Westly Youngren, who is studying ways to make dreams pleasant to alleviate trauma and stress to create better sleep and quality of life.
In addition to UMKC, Missouri University of Science and Technology – another University of Missouri System campus – and St. Louis University also achieved R1 in 2025. Regional R1 universities include the University of Missouri in Columbia, Washington University, University of Kansas and Kansas State University. Other notable R1 universities are Columbia, Georgetown, Harvard, Johns Hopkins, Princeton, Stanford and Yale.
The R1 designation elevates the academic profile of UMKC, paving the way for expanded opportunities that empower both faculty and students.
“All aspects of our lives are impacted by research—our food, transportation, healthcare interventions, education and even the arts are all influenced by research,” said Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor Jennifer Lundgren. “Having research-active faculty ensures students are learning from professionals who are pushing their disciplines forward.”
For UMKC Ph.D. candidate Jennifer Truitt, researching mental health with faculty mentor David Maitland, whose research on the loneliness epidemic was recently featured in the New York Times, the UMKC R1 designation has already made a difference.
“UMKC’s ambition to achieve R1 was one of the reasons I chose to transfer here,” Truitt said. “It affirms that this is the ideal environment for impactful research because R1 status means access to tools, funding and networks that elevate the quality of our work.”
For more information, images and videos about UMKC research and its Carnegie R1 designation, visit go.umkc.edu/r1.
Attachments
- UMKC Faculty, Staff and Students Celebrate Carnegie R1 Status
- Chancellor Agrawal and KC Roo Mascot Celebrate R1 status.
Stacy Downs UMKC 8162351441 downs@umkc.edu
