Southern Illinois University-Carbondale has been designated a Research 1, or R1, in the Carnegie Classifications of Institutions of Higher Education. This is a prestigious accomplishment that only 187 schools have met. This represents less than 5% of the almost 4,000 classified educational institutions.

Research 1 Institutions are those that have allocated at least $50 million to research expenditures and grant at least 70 research doctorates. SIU-Carbondale cleared those requirements in 2023. SIU-Carbondale is just one of three public R1 universities in Illinois and the only one located in a rural area.

SIU-Carbondale Chancellor Austin Lane said exploring the R1 designation was a goal in the Imagine 2030 strategic plan as part of the research and innovation pillar. SIU-Carbondale research covers everything from agriculture and medicine to green energy and forensic identification.

SIU-Carbondale has clearly dedicated itself to research funding and its students.