SLU is R1. We are OneSLU.
February 13, 2025
Dear members of the SLU community,
Today, we celebrate the achievement of a goal we set nearly a decade ago. The American Council on Education and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching have published the 2025 Research Activity Designations for colleges and universities. For the first time, Saint Louis University will be designated Research 1: Very High Spending and Doctorate Production, also known as R1.
SLU’s R1 status will bolster our University’s reputation as a top-tier Jesuit research university and open new paths for research growth and collaboration.
SLU’s growing research impact is rooted in a centuries-long tradition of Jesuits who fearlessly pursued truth, making historic contributions to fields as diverse as astronomy, mathematics, seismology, literature, media studies, theology, and philosophy.
In our current moment, Saint Louis University researchers and scholars – in St. Louis and in Madrid – seek to illuminate and understand the world, advancing knowledge that will help people live lives of meaning, purpose, health and wholeness.
SLU researchers are increasing knowledge and expanding treatment options related to type 2 diabetes, lung cancer, liver disease, non-opioid pain management, palliative care, and more. They are developing innovative approaches to sickle cell disease diagnosis, health care for the aging, and maternal and child health.
Our researchers have launched communication technologies for the DeafBlind community, led a first-of-its-kind study on bridge safety in Missouri, and collaborated on vaccine advancements and lifesaving medicines. SLU’s geospatial scientists are alleviating food insecurity, improving health outcomes, and building resilient communities.
SLU scholars have made landmark discoveries in history, and asked critical questions about the nature of human suffering. They are global leaders in the study of health law, Spanish language and literature, and Medieval and Renaissance cultures. They leverage digital technology to understand how religions are practiced around the world, and influence the application of ethical principles in health care.
As a distinctive component of our Jesuit identity, SLU research and scholarship are woven through a community that values exceptional teaching. SLU’s research achievements of the last decade stand alongside the launch of a mission-centered core curriculum that has become a model for our peer Jesuit institutions. In the classroom and through research and other experiential learning opportunities, faculty across the institution are engaging students in the unique rewards and trials of a quest for answers that have not yet been found.
The achievement of R1 status is a milestone to celebrate – on a journey that will continue. We must remain committed to deepening and sustaining our mission to pursue truth for the greater glory of God and for the service of humanity.
For today, I say thank you, and congratulations.
Thank you to Dr. Jeanne and Rex Sinquefield, whose transformational $50 million gift made SLU’s incredible research growth possible.
Thank you to Provost Mike Lewis and Interim Vice President for Research Ellen Barnidge, who have never wavered in their belief that SLU’s research faculty and staff stand among the best in the nation. Their efforts – and the work of their teams – will make an indelible mark on SLU’s future.
Thank you to all of the SLU faculty researchers, scholars, staff, students, alumni and community partners whose vision and tireless efforts created an astonishing rise in research activity and impact.
As members of this University community and stewards of the legacy of St. Ignatius, we each play a role in sustaining the light that seeks truth in uncertain times.
Today, I invite each of you to reach out to our faculty and staff colleagues and friends who have committed their lives and careers to advancing knowledge for the greater good. Share your congratulations, gratitude, and support.
There were moments when the path that brought us here seemed improbable. We have no reason to expect that the road before us will be easy.
May the joy of this moment call us forward to the work ahead.
SLU is R1. We are OneSLU.
Fred P. Pestello, Ph.D.
President