ODU earns R1 classification in national ranking

Old Dominion University has earned the highest research activity classification in the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, the university announced Tuesday.

ODU is now one of 137 four-year research institutions with the Research 1 classification, which indicates “very high research activity.” To receive the R1 classification, doctoral universities must meet benchmarks in 10 indicators, including research doctorates awarded, total research expenditures, the aggregate level of research activity and the number of research staff. The classification, produced this year by the Center for Postsecondary Research at Indiana University, is published every three years.

ODU is one of nine universities upgraded to the highest level this year, joining fellow Virginia R1 institutions George Mason University, the University of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University and Virginia Tech.

“I’m so excited to move back home and live next door to a leading research university. Congratulations to the whole ODU team — this is an important achievement,” Gov. Ralph Northam said in a statement.

The 2018 report designated ODU a Research 2 institution with “high research activity.”

Over the last 10 years, the number of ODU faculty’s scientific publications has doubled. Over the past five years, external funding for applied research projects has tripled, contributing to $69 million annually in overall research expenditures. More than half of the university’s faculty have been involved in externally funded research projects, which have grown by 22% in total expenditures in the last 10 years. In that same period, ODU doubled its non-faculty Ph.D. research staff.

“This is a significant milestone for our campus community and a historic moment in our research efforts,” ODU President Brian O. Hemphill said in a statement. “ODU is truly honored to join the elite ranks of the nation’s top-producing research institutions, which comprise less than 5% of all institutions. Our faculty are so deserving of this prestigious honor and the limitless opportunities and well-deserved recognition that come with it.”

ODU partners with the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility (JLab), NASA Langley Research Center, NASA Wallops Flight Facility, the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration and the Department of Defense.

The Carnegie Commission on Higher Education developed the Carnegie Classification in 1970 to support its research and policy analysis program. It is used for research, grant-making and funding decisions, as well as annual rankings like those of the U.S. News & World Report.

The doctoral universities classification includes institutions that awarded at least 20 research/scholarship doctoral degrees during the update year and institutions with below 20 research/scholarship doctoral degrees that awarded at least 30 professional practice doctoral degrees in at least two programs.

The classifications will become official at the end of January 2022, when the review and comment period concludes. The Indiana University Center for Postsecondary Research will provide the final update before transferring responsibility to Albion College in Michigan.