Students: Today, We Are R1!

Dear Students,

Every day is a great day to be a Niner…but some days are greater than others!

This morning the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, in cooperation with the American Council on Education, announced that UNC Charlotte has officially achieved Research 1 (R1) status, taking our place among the top tier of the nation’s research universities. 

Attaining top-tier research status has been a goal of this University for quite some time, so this is certainly a pivotal point in our history and a day of celebration for the entire UNC Charlotte community and for the Charlotte metro region.

The impact of our research addresses local challenges, strengthens communities and shapes the future with solutions that extend far beyond our region. 

For our students, this prestigious new R1 designation will enhance the value of your degree, and it will open up opportunities for you to participate in exciting research projects that you likely wouldn’t have access to otherwise. Additionally, being an R1 institution helps unlock opportunities for the University to receive bigger research grants, to forge stronger industry partnerships, and to solve critical problems. We will be on a more level playing field to compete with the best institutions in the nation, and better equipped to continue attracting and retaining top-tier faculty and students.

I hope you are as excited and proud as I am of this incredible accomplishment. We’ll have lots more to share in the coming weeks, including details of a campus-wide celebration.

Congratulations to each and every one of the amazing faculty, staff and students who make up Niner Nation. This is a great day for UNC Charlotte!

Go Niners!

Sharon L. Gaber
Chancellor