We can’t stress enough how important the news that broke this week was: Southern Methodist University and the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center earned the highly coveted Research 1, better known as R1, status.
This is a watershed moment for North Texas and Dallas as the city is realizing its potential as a major technological hub and while the region continues to attract businesses that rely on highly skilled talent.
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The Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education awards R1 status to schools that demonstrate more than $50 million in research spending and at least 70 research doctorates awarded annually. Carnegie’s recently revamped system now includes institutions focused on health, which explains the inclusion of UT Southwestern, already considered one of the top medical schools in the country and the home of an impressive number of Nobel laureates.
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Texas now has 16 schools with R1 status, including nearby institutions like the University of North Texas, the University of Texas at Arlington and the University of Texas at Dallas.
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For SMU this has been a moment long in the making, and for outgoing President R. Gerald Turner, the R1 status will be the cherry on top of a career that has seen the school transform into a nationally ranked university. In June, University of Texas President Jay Hartzell will take the helm to continue leading SMU forward.
The R1 designation will bolster SMU’s efforts to recruit, develop and retain top talent, university officials say. It is worth noting that SMU’s investment in areas like high-performance computing, cybersecurity, data science, biosciences and artificial intelligence is proof that the school has had the right strategic approach, and it is paying dividends now.
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This designation, however, comes at a time in which the Trump administration is cutting costs that can negatively affect research institutions in the area. We have no quibble with looking for efficiency in government, and urge the Trump administration to relentlessly seek waste.
But unwisely cutting into scientific research hurts our nation. The National Institutes of Health announced earlier this month that it was imposing a standard indirect cost rate of 15% on all research grants to ensure that “as many funds as possible go towards direct scientific research costs rather than administrative overhead.”
Although federal courts temporarily blocked this effort, UT Southwestern’s President Daniel Podolsky warned in a letter that a standard cost rate amounts to a blanket reduction of federal reimbursements that can have a negative impact of over $100 million a year. A deeper examination of cost vs. benefit should have taken place prior to this reduction being implemented.
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While SMU also receives some federal research funding, it also relies on its strong philanthropic arm to continue advancing research. In the last three decades, generous individual and corporate donors have more than tripled the endowed faculty positions and invested in research programs and collaborations, according to a statement.
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At a moment when some politicians in Austin and Washington are casting doubt on scientific research, we should avoid falling into unhealthy cynicism. Science has been a cornerstone of American progress, and Dallas becoming a major player is something to celebrate.
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A milestone for SMU and UTSW is worth celebrating in Dallas
