RIT moves up a classification among research universities

Rochester Institute of Technology is now listed as a “high research activity institution” or “R2” under the updated Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Learning.

The R2 designation, the second-highest classification, puts RIT among the top 6 percent of college and universities in the nation, those conferring at least 20 research/scholarship doctorates annually and spending a minimum $5 million a year on research. Carnegie surveys more than 4,000 universities and puts 139 in this classification, with an additional 122 in the top “very high research” group.

“This change in designation reflects RIT’s continued emphasis on growing our research capabilities and incorporating research as an element of the education we’re providing across a broad spectrum of academic disciplines,” said Ellen Granberg, RIT provost and senior vice president for academic affairs. “Through research, RIT students and faculty are collaborating to push the boundaries of creativity and innovation.”

Ryne Raffaelle, RIT’s vice president for research and associate provost, said research expenditures have been an upward trajectory for the last several years as RIT and reflect a growing research portfolio. In fiscal year 2017, RIT had a record $51 million in expenditures.