Our Path to Becoming a Top 50 Research University
We will know we have succeeded when our research solves Louisiana’s most intractable problems and, in turn, benefits the whole world. That is what Louisianans, and our global community, are asking of us.
William F. Tate IV, LSU President
Vision
LSU aspires to be among the Top 50 research universities in the United States, a lofty goal that is both within our reach and crucial in fulfilling our mission to solve Louisiana’s most intractable problems and, in turn, benefit the entire world. Achieving this vision will require all of us working together with a unified, singular purpose, truly exemplifying our mission to Build Teams That Win.
Why It Matters
Faculty, staff, researchers, and students across our campuses will collectively benefit as LSU gains prestige and recognition as an elite institution, expanding its role in cutting-edge research while educating and training tomorrow’s leaders and innovators. Louisiana will benefit from increased pathways to higher learning and solutions to the state’s most-pressing challenges.
Why LSU
As a Louisiana institution, LSU is uniquely positioned to attain the goal of being a Top 50 research university. LSU's family of eight Louisiana colleges and institutions stands at the center of many of our nation’s core challenges and opportunities due to our geography, culture, and economy. LSU as a whole is dedicated to creating solutions essential to the future of our state and nation.
Governance and Structure
Under the leadership of LSU President William F. Tate IV, the Research Design Working Group (RDWG) will identify challenges and opportunities to elevate our research impact and growth.
The RDWG identifies opportunities to enhance LSU's processes and systems to create efficiencies and better support research faculty and staff, and create more opportunities.
The Planning Process
As we move forward, each member of the LSU community has role in our path to Top 50 status. There are years of hard work ahead of us, but the goal is clear and we will move forward collaboratively.
Process Phases
Huron Consulting has surveyed members of administration, faculty, and staff (phase 1) and defined a vision and benchmarks from which to measure progress (phase 2).Research leadership also gathered to define strategic opportunity areas. The next phase (phase 3) involves determining goals and initiatives, refining recommendations, and implementing systemwide strategies that will move us toward Top 50 attainment. The planning process will culminate in February 2025.
Frequently Asked Questions
As outlined in our Strategic Framework and in alignment with the Scholarship First Agenda’s Pentagon Priorities, it is the university’s aspiration to be among the Top 50 research universities in the United States. This plan will be designed to get us there.
Yes. The LSU System comprises eight institutions and colleges across Louisiana. Each campus conducting research plays an integral role in reaching our objective to be a Top 50 research university.
Certain milestones, such as when our research expenditures increase to approximately $800M, will prove we have met this challenge. President Tate has answered this question in a more aspirational vein: "We will know we have succeeded when our research solves Louisiana’s most intractable problems and, in turn, benefits the whole world," he said. "That is what Louisianans, and our global community, are asking of us."
We are partnering with the Huron Consulting Group and Urban Impact Advisors to help guide our efforts and create a blueprint for success. They will help us enhance our operations collectively and as individual campuses. Together, our partners have worked with leading universities, health centers, and top research institutions in the United States, including:
- All Top 100 Research Institutes
- All 71 members of the Association of American Universities
- More than 40 NCI-designated and comprehensive cancer systems
- More than 1,200 health systems, hospitals, and physician organizations
It will take hundreds of us working together with a unified, singular purpose to achieve this vision. We will share more information about the engagement process and the steps we will take to reach our goal. But rest assured, input from leadership, faculty, and staff at each campus will be sought and valued throughout the process.
The Scholarship First Agenda puts a focus on LSU’s five key research areas: Agriculture, Biomedicine, Coast, Defense and Cybersecurity, and Energy. What LSU is doing in these five areas is groundbreaking and has global impact. This plan will build on that effort, inclusive of LSU’s top educational programs in engineering, business and internal audit, landscape architecture, law, and many more.