ASU hails entrance into elite group of research schools as sign of its growth

Arizona now has two universities that belong to a premier organization made up of the nation’s leading research schools.

Arizona State University this month was one of the six schools selected as the newest members of the Association of American Universities, which was founded in 1900 with 12 public and private institutions and now has 71, including two in Canada. ASU joins the University of Arizona, which has been a member since 1985.

Membership in the AAU is by invitation only and is based on quantitative indicators. ASU said joining the group demonstrates its leadership and performance in research and academics, and President Michael Crow said it reflects the maturation of the university.

“From deep space to deep in the oceans, we are a university designed for discovery, interdisciplinary research and innovation,” Crow said in a statement. “As one of the fastest-growing research enterprises in the United States, we are focused on solving society’s greatest challenges, and we are excited to become part of the AAU.”

Joining AAU means ASU will have more influence in setting the direction for research practices and higher-education policy.

ASU has boosted its research activity and investment over the past two decades, and in fiscal year 2021 had $677.7 million in research expenditures, ASU said. The school has been named the most innovative in the nation for eight years straight by U.S. News and World Report.

The school also said that it ranks in the top 10 worldwide for U.S. utility patents issued in 2022, and more than 200 companies have been launched based on ASU innovations, attracting more than $1.2 billion in external funding.

“ASU has achieved a true continuum of research across the arts, humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, engineering and technology. From Early Career NSF award winners to pan-university transdisciplinary approaches, we are tackling problems from all dimensions,” said Sally Morton, executive vice president of Knowledge Enterprise at ASU, in a statement. “What these successes all have in common is the discovery of use-inspired solutions to the most pressing issues of the day, issues that meet the needs of our community.”

Joining the AAU this month along with ASU were George Washington University; the University of California, Riverside; the University of Miami; the University of Notre Dame; and the University of South Florida.

AAU President Barbara Snyder said her organization was particularly proud that ASU and the UC Riverside are designated as Hispanic-serving institutions, meaning that significant shares of their student bodies come from Latino backgrounds.