Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching designates UDM as Research University

University of Detroit Mercy has been named a Research University by the American Council on Education (ACE) and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching (Carnegie Foundation). This new designation will help the University attract more students, highly qualified faculty and research grants in the coming years.

Announced in February, this designation puts UDM among just 216 other institutions nationwide to receive this distinction. This new designation identifies research happening at colleges and universities that historically have not been recognized for their research activity, including institutions that do not offer many or any doctoral degrees.

In addition, it recognizes institutions that award on average at least $2.5 million on research and development.

Michigan is home to 46 universities. Among this number, only seven institutions have achieved this Carnegie designation, of which UDM is one. 

“Detroit Mercy is pleased to be recognized for the important research conducted by our faculty,” said University President Donald B. Taylor. “We are thrilled to give so many of our students a chance to engage in research. It gives them exceptional experience that they can take into their careers.”

For years, UDM has excelled in providing undergraduate students research opportunities, chances to publish papers and present their findings at national professional conferences. More specifically, UDM focuses on introducing undergraduate students to research and corporate opportunities that fill critical workforce needs and strengthen the economy overall. In recent years, UDM has engaged in several funded research projects, including:   

• $3.79 million from the U.S. Dept. of Energy for students in the School of Architecture & Community Development in partnership with the College of Engineering & Science to improve the energy efficiency of 13 nonprofit-owned buildings in Detroit, Highland Park and Hamtramck.
• $2 million from the National Science Foundation to a consortium of five universities to build partnerships with businesses across different disciplines of engineering and computer science.
• $1.12 million from the U.S. Department of Defense to establish the Metro Detroit Regional Vehicle Cybersecurity Institute, a regional cybersecurity consortium to enhance and expand the cybersecurity engineering workforce.
• $295,000 from the National Endowment for the Humanities for professor of Philosophy Juan Carlos Flores to translate the first critical edition of Henry of Ghent’s Summa articles 73-75.

According to UDM’s Office of Sponsored Programs and Research Activities (OSPRA), the University has spent an average of $5 million on grant-funded research projects over the past three years and expects this amount to increase.

To help promote the significance of grant funding and encourage others to pursue research projects, the University celebrates its student and faculty research every year at its Celebration of Scholarly Achievement & Community Engagement. Hundreds of student, faculty and staff researchers present findings of their work with presentations and a poster display. This year’s event is April 3 from noon to 8:30 p.m. on the McNichols Campus. Learn more.