WPI Attains Designation as an R1 Research University

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Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) has been designated an R1 institution and joined the ranks of the nation’s top-tier research institutions in a new classification of American colleges and universities published by the American Council on Education (ACE) and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.

The R1 designation, which identifies WPI as one of 187 institutions with “very high research spending and doctorate production,” caps a decade of efforts to expand research and innovation at the university.

“This recognition is a real accomplishment for our entire community, especially our talented faculty members, students, and staff, who have demonstrated their excellence and commitment to high-impact research and innovation,” said Grace Wang, WPI president. “WPI’s research is expanding knowledge, enabling new solutions, and enriching the education of our students. I am thrilled to see WPI recognized nationally for its research achievements.”

Under new benchmarks implemented this year by ACE and the Carnegie Foundation, colleges and universities that spend at least $50 million on research and award at least 70 doctorates annually are designated as R1 institutions. WPI spent $66 million on research and awarded 88 doctoral degrees during fiscal year 2023.

“WPI’s research portfolio has grown to record levels in recent years, thanks to the quality and creativity of our faculty, staff, and students, who collaborate across disciplines in ways that promote scientific and technological advancements,” said Bogdan Vernescu, WPI vice president and vice provost for research and innovation. "The work of our researchers amplifies the impact of WPI."

Much of the university’s research is in the expanding fields of artificial intelligence (AI) and data analytics, robotics, advanced materials and manufacturing, and biotechnology and life sciences.

“Our faculty members are accomplished scientists, engineers, and thinkers who collaborate globally and have the respect of their peers,” said Andrew Sears, WPI provost. “Recognition of our university as an R1 institution shows others what we have long known—that WPI is a great place to conduct research.”

WPI’s research portfolio has grown to record levels in recent years, thanks to the quality and creativity of our faculty, staff, and students, who collaborate across disciplines in ways that promote scientific and technological advancements.

Bogdan Vernescu

Vice President and Vice Provost for Research and Innovation

Massachusetts is home to some of the nation’s leading R1 institutions, and WPI has focused its efforts to expand research activity in recent years by concentrating on people, partnerships, and facilities.

The university recruited talented faculty members and graduate students, and it established in-house services that help researchers develop and manage projects, Vernescu said. WPI’s faculty includes 29 recipients of prestigious National Science Foundation CAREER Awards; fellows of organizations such as the National Academy of Inventors, The Minerals and Metals Society, the American Academy of Microbiology, the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering, and the Society of Experimental Mechanics; and faculty who received distinguished prizes such as the American Chemical Society Award for Distinguished Service in the Advancement of Inorganic Chemistry.

WPI also expanded its research centers, including four Industry-University Cooperative Research Centers funded by the NSF, and joined federal-industry-university consortia such as Manufacturing USA to further expand partnerships.

To support cutting-edge research, new facilities were built: PracticePoint, an academic-industry center for the design and development of medical technologies; LEAP, the Lab for Education and Application Prototypes, which is a collaboration in integrated photonics with Quinsigamond Community College; and Sagamore Labs, an advanced manufacturing facility.

The university’s growth in research has generated benefits for Worcester and Massachusetts over the last decade by providing breakthroughs that led to 25 startup companies. Those companies, which have raised $1.7 billion in capital and have more than 500 employees, focus on technologies such as lithium-ion battery manufacturing and recycling, carbon-negative building materials, AI in healthcare, and surgical robotics.

“WPI’s researchers are trailblazers, transforming complex challenges into groundbreaking solutions that drive progress and inspire collaboration with industry partners,” said David Ortendahl, WPI executive director of corporate partnerships. “Our research is not just impactful: It’s a catalyst for real-world change, improving lives and shaping the future.”

Ongoing investment in research will prepare WPI for additional expansion, said Vernescu. The university awarded more than $400,000 in seed funding during 2024 to more than a dozen research development projects, including $210,000 in grants from the Gapontsev Family Collaborative Venture Fund for research focused on lasers and laser applications, and $150,000 from the President’s Research Catalyst Grants Program, which was funded by gifts for projects focused on developing new materials and applications of AI in bioengineering and mental health.

“Researchers across WPI are using these seed grants to set the stage for continued funding for groundbreaking discoveries with the potential to make tremendous positive impact in Worcester, Massachusetts, and the world,” Vernescu said. “We expect these projects to result in bigger grants, an expanded research footprint involving faculty members across the campus, and an even greater economic impact on our community.”