The University of Louisiana at Lafayette has a 2020 vision and nearly $101 million it spent on research is bringing the future into focus.

UL Lafayette expended a record $100.98 million in the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2017, placing it among the top 25 percent of U.S. colleges and universities in terms of research and development funding.

That’s according to the Higher Education Research and Development Survey, the National Science Foundation’s annual index of research expenditures.

UL Lafayette competes against other universities and private development firms for federal and state government grants and private sector contracts. The money faculty researchers secure comes to the University, which acts as a steward for the funds.

UL Lafayette spent $80 million in 2016 and ranked 158 among 640 institutions the HERD Survey included. Of those institutions, just 148 disbursed over $100 million.

As La Louisiane went to press, the University’s 2017 ranking hadn’t been released. The $100.98 million nevertheless satisfies a goal of the University’s strategic plan: to reach $100 million in R&D expenditures by 2020.

Dr. Ramesh Kolluru, vice president for Research, Innovation and Economic Development, said the “hard work of our outstanding researchers” made reaching the milestone possible. “Their intellect got us this far, and it will enable us to reach the next level,” becoming a Research 1 university.

The Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education categorizes universities based on research activity, among other criteria. UL Lafayette is considered a Research 2 university.

UL Lafayette’s strategic plan envisions Research 1 status by 2020.

This article first appeared in the Fall 2018 issue of La Louisiane, The Magazine of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.

Main photo by University of Louisiana at Lafayette/Doug Dugas