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Picture of bricked arched walkway on medical center of SLU

Advancing Ambition

The Research Institute was established to grow Saint Louis University’s research capabilities and affirm the University’s path to becoming the world’s leading Jesuit research university. The Institute’s vision is closely aligned with SLU’s strategic plan, which calls for the University to make research a core part of its identity and to increase total research output.

Picture of scientist sitting down while looking through a microscope in a lab

Research by the Numbers

  • 200+
    Years of Discovery
  • $53M
    Grant Revenue
  • 20+
    Regional Partnerships
Pictured: Dr. Jeanne and Rex Sinquefield pose for a photograph in front of the historic Samuel Cupples House on the campus of Saint Louis University

Made Possible By a Historic Commitment

The Research Institute was established following a historic gift from Dr. Jeanne and Rex Sinquefield in August 2018: $50 million — the largest single gift in the University’s history — to accelerate research growth at the University and place SLU on the path to becoming a preeminent research university.

Goals of the Research Institute

  1. Achieve and sustain annual research expenditure growth that places SLU among the fastest growing universities in the country
  2. Establish eminence in strategic, university-wide research priority areas
  3. Raise the profile and reputation of SLU as a world-class research university in the St. Louis area and around the world
  4. Recruit and retain world-class research leaders and provide significant investments in their work
  5. Leverage the initial gift from Dr. Jeanne Sinquefield and Rex Sinquefield to increase federal, industry, and philanthropic funding for research done at SLU

Working with Research Leaders

Since the establishment of the Research Institute, SLU researchers have launched a number of interdisciplinary institutes that tackle an array of global challenges — from drug discovery to water research.

The Research Institute works closely with faculty research leaders from a variety of disciplines to ensure the support it offers to the University community addresses researchers’ needs and ambitions. This has enabled research growth that aligns with both the strengths and capabilities of the colleges and the University’s larger research ambitions.

The Research Institute engages a number of research councils and committees in allocating funding and identifying emerging research priorities. These bodies are made up of SLU faculty and administrators.

Research Council and Committee Rosters