Dr. Dua Sumeet joined UMKC’s staff as the new vice chancellor for research on Sept. 9.
This new hire is one of many steps that have been taken toward becoming an R1 university since Chancellor Maulli Agrawal’s State of the University address in April, which highlighted the desire to gain that status.
“There’s no surprise that we are heading in the R1 direction. It seems like it’s been in the works for a while, and it’s looking very good,” said Sumeet. “We have the building blocks to be an R1 when the next designation comes around.”
In order for UMKC to reach this status, there are certain requirements to be met within research, which includes high expenditures and more doctoral programs.
“We have eight new doctoral programs that have been launched and that’s a big part of the R1 designation,” said Dumeet. “They [the American Council on Education] look at the number of doctorate institution producers. 70 [programs] is what is expected to be produced every year.” Another requirement to be met is research expenditures.
“To become R1, you have to put at least $50 million into research funding expenses,” said Sumeet.
Within the last four years, UMKC has more than doubled its research expenditures from $25 million to $53 million.
By reaching R1 status, the university would receive more funding to increase innovative research expenditures, as well as for labs and buildings dedicated to quality research.
“Undergraduate research at UMKC turns 25 this year, and that’s a big part of us, and it’s not as common as you would think at all universities. We really infuse that here,” said Director of Strategic Communications Stacy Downs. “Some of our research is surprising too. You wouldn’t think our Conservatory would have a lot of research, but there’s a lot of research really.”
UMKC is expected to reach Carnegie 1 research status by spring of 2025.
“If excellence in everything we do, big or small, is our goal, then in the pursuit of excellence we can never be satisfied with status quo,” said Chancellor Agrawal in his State of the University Address in April.
