Hartford Business Journal

10 HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | AUGUST 11, 2025 Pamir Alpay, UConn's vice president for research, innovation and entrepreneurship, says the school's research productivity is comparable to about 25% of Association of American Universities members. Contributed Photo Elite Aspirations Access to top talent, more federal funding fuel UConn's ambitions to join top association of research universities join such an association. Schools, however, do not apply to join the AAU; membership is by invitation only. Because of that, campaigning for membership is frowned upon. "Yes, we'd love to get invited to AAU, but I think at no point should we be saying that we're pining for it," said Pamir Alpay, UConn's vice president for research, innovation and entrepre- neurship. "That's not a good look for the university." He noted that the bill passed by the legislature does not mention AAU specifically. Regardless, Alpay said, "We certainly would like to be recog- nized as a top research university." Both Maric and Pamir strongly believe UConn has achieved that status, and they made that case to the school's board of trustees during a retreat on July 16. At that meeting, Pamir presented a 10-page study outlining why UConn qualifies and what membership would mean for its future. 'Really at the table' Both Maric and Pamir agreed to discuss the effort in an interview with Hartford Business Journal. Maric said an invitation to join AAU would signify UConn's standing as a leading research institution, and recognize "the breadth and quality of a research and graduate education." She noted that the state has invested over a billion dollars into infrastructure improvements at UConn's Storrs campus over the past two decades to support engineering and science research. Being an AAU member would further strengthen UConn's research efforts, Maric said. "So, you are really at the table," Maric said of being an AAU member. "If you look at AAU institutions, they collectively secure a large portion of competitive awards from federal funding — from the National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Insti- tute of Health (NIH) — because they are drafting those policies. They are at the table before things happen … so they have that advantage." While AAU officials declined to comment for this story, the nonprofit organization's website states that its member universities "earn the majority of competitively awarded federal funding for research that improves public health, seeks to address national challenges, and contributes signifi- cantly to our economic strength …." It adds that its members also "collectively help shape policy for higher education, science and innovation." By David Krechevsky davidk@hartfordbusiness.com T here are a variety of reasons why the Univer- sity of Connecticut wants to be recognized as a superior research institution. But beyond the prestige and recog- nition of its academic rigor, the bottom line for President Radenka Maric is this: Like Aaron Burr in the Broadway musical, "Hamilton," UConn wants to be in the room where it happens. A key part of UConn's ambitions hinge, in part, on one day joining the Association of American Universities, an elite consortium of the nation's top research institutions. Currently, only 71 colleges — including Yale University and the nation's seven other Ivy League schools — are members of the Wash- ington, D.C.-based group, which was founded in 1900. Membership brings not only pres- tige, but also potential improved access to federal research funding and greater influence in shaping public policy. The topic was brought up during this year's legislative session, and a new law recently signed by Gov. Ned Lamont (House Bill 7095) requires UConn to develop "an action plan" to AAU SNAPSHOT The Association of American Universities was formed in 1900 with a dozen members, including Yale University. It now has 71 members, including all eight Ivies and two schools in Canada (McGill University in Montreal and the University of Toronto). • Since 2000, just 13 schools have been invited to join, including six in 2023: Arizona State University; The George Washington University; Univer- sity of California, Riverside; University of Miami; University of Notre Dame; and University of South Florida. • The seven other members invited since 2000 are: Stony Brook University; Texas A&M University; Boston University; University of California, Santa Cruz; The University of Utah; Dartmouth College; and Tufts University. • Every school in the Big 10 Conference, which now has 18 schools, is a member except for the University of Nebraska. • Of its U.S. members, 38 are public universities, while 31 are private institutions. Source: Association of American Universities $400M $200M $300M $350M $250M 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 UCONN'S RESEARCH FUNDING EXPENDITURES Source: UConn TOTAL FUNDING

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