In recognition of Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s ongoing research commitment and doctoral student success, IUP has earned an R2 Doctoral University–High Spending and Doctorate Production classification from the American Council on Education and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching in its 2025 Research Activity designations.
IUP first received the R2 ranking in 2022. It remains one of only two public universities in Pennsylvania and one of only 97 public universities with this ranking nationwide.
Only six universities in Pennsylvania hold the R2 status, and only 139 universities in the United States have the R2 status. More than 3,900 colleges and universities are included in the ranking system.
“Continuing our R2 ranking reaffirms our institutional commitment to research and our role as a public, doctoral research university,” IUP President Michael Driscoll said.
“IUP’s Strategic Plan includes the core principles of promoting, producing, and disseminating knowledge for the benefit of our students and society and providing a wide range of intellectual and professional opportunities for students that will assist them in developing their potential for becoming productive and responsible citizens,” he said. “This recognition reflects our commitment to these core principles, including faculty and student excellence in research and student success in our doctoral programs.”
The Carnegie Classification is used by researchers, policy makers, and administrators, as well as for informing grant-making and federal and state funding of institutions. It is the basis for the categories of annual rankings, including U.S. News & World Report.
An R2 designation is limited to universities that award at least 20 research-scholarship doctoral degrees and have at least $5 million in qualifying research expenditures over a designated period. For the period determining the 2025 rankings (academic years 2020–21, 2021–22 and 2022–23), IUP had more than $6.18 million in research expenditures and an average of 102 research doctorates.
During the 2023–24 academic year, more than $16 million was expended in research and innovation and 114 students completed requirements for doctoral degrees.
For the last four decades, IUP has celebrated research during Research Appreciation Week, which features between 200 to 300 students presenting original research projects or creative works during the annual Scholars Forum.
IUP’s Undergraduate Research Office supports students interested in research opportunities and oversees the University-wide Student Research Committee, where faculty members help disseminate information about research opportunities to students and faculty.
Associate Vice Provost for Libraries and Research Support Services Kelly Heider provides coordinated leadership for the Undergraduate Research Office and other initiatives supporting research and innovation, including services at the IUP Libraries, the Applied Research Lab, both campus makerspaces, and the Center for Scholarly Communication.
IUP’s U-SOAR (Undergraduate Summer Opportunities for Applying Research) pairs students with faculty members for a summer-long research program that provides a financial stipend and workshops on data analysis, presentation skills, and creating a professional résumé.
As part of IUP’s academic restructuring project launched in fall 2024, three academic affairs function clusters were created, including Research and Innovation, designed to elevate and focus research support services for all students and faculty while ensuring compliance and facilitating the relationship with the IUP Research Institute.
The IUP Research Institute is a nonprofit entity that expands funding opportunities for researchers and provides extensive support to researchers and prospective researchers, including faculty professional development in the grant lifecycle, finding funding opportunities, and research proposal development to award negotiations and post-award project management. It is the only entity of its type in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education and serves several universities in the State System in addition to work assisting IUP researchers.
IUP’s RI also offers workshops and programming for faculty and students about how to do research, including a PI (Principal Investigator) Mentorship Academy, a semistructured boot camp for researchers or individuals interested in research.
“IUP’s commitment to becoming an even stronger student-centered university includes fostering research at all levels and disciplines for our students,” Vice Provost for Research and Innovation Hilliary Creely said. “Holding the R2 status is important and a great source of pride for IUP, but maintaining that status reflects what is truly important: our ability to help students gain confidence in their ability to be successful researchers and critical thinkers,” she said.