UMSL has been named an associated member of Oak Ridge Associated Universities, a consortium of more than 150 major colleges and universities that works with federal, state, local, and commercial customers to advance national priorities and serve the public interest. (Photo by Derik Holtmann)

The University of Missouri–St. Louis has elevated its research profile in recent years as awards to the university have increased by more than 330% since Fiscal Year 2017.

UMSL researchers and investigators have received more than $140 million in grant awards from external funders with federal, state and local governments, as well as corporations and the nonprofit sector, over the past two years.

With that success, the university has also encountered other opportunities to expand its reputation nationally. Earlier this year, UMSL was named an associate member of Oak Ridge Associated Universities, a consortium of more than 150 major colleges and universities that works with federal, state, local and commercial customers to advance national priorities and serve the public interest.

The consortium is connected to Oak Ridge National Laboratory, a federally funded research and development center in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, that is home to several of the world’s most powerful supercomputers.

UMSL became the fourth university in the state of Missouri to be admitted into ORAU, joining the University of Missouri–Columbia, Missouri University of Science and Technology and Washington University in St. Louis.

“Looking at the network that they have and connections to universities, businesses and even the federal government, this is a great opportunity for us to be in this august company,” said Chris Spilling, UMSL’s vice chancellor for research and economic and community development. “It helps us expand our brand and develop research partnerships with other members.”

UMSL’s status as an anchor institution in the St. Louis region with Carnegie R2 classification for research productivity and a place in the 35th percentile in the National Science Foundation Higher Education Research and Development rankings for R&D expenditures bolstered its application for associate membership. The university also received a letter of support from Thomas Spencer, the vice chancellor for research at the University of Missouri–Columbia, which has been a sponsoring institution in the consortium since 1981.

UMSL has strong graduate degree programs in multiple STEM fields, including biology, chemistry, biochemistry and biotechnology, mathematics, data science, computer science and information systems.

It is also home to the Missouri Institute of Mental Health, which has researchers specializing in behavioral neuroscience and addiction science as well as neuroimaging with expertise in applying machine learning methods to their study of topics such as the impact of HIV on the brain.

More recently, UMSL has been building partnerships to advance STEM research and workforce development in geospatial technology, reshoring active pharmaceutical ingredients, controlled environment agriculture and advanced manufacturing.

The latter will be the theme of ORAU’s next annual meeting in March.

Cynthia Jobe, UMSL’s director of research development, said ORAU membership will allow faculty members the chance to apply for grants available exclusively to members.

It can also benefit students as they seek research and career opportunities.

“It’s particularly useful for our grad students in STEM because it gives them access to a database with research opportunities with some top federal agencies and leading companies,” Jobe said. “These are opportunities that are not easily accessible without the benefit of the network.”