In the latest research classifications to come out of the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, the University of Washington Bothell has been recognized as a “Research College and University” — a testament to the University’s commitment to fostering innovative research and experimentation.
The category is a new addition to this year’s Research Activity Designations, which the American Council on Education and the Carnegie Foundation released on Feb. 13, 2025.
“A highlight of our work to modernize the Carnegie Classification is the new Research Colleges and Universities designation, which will shed light on institutions that have engaged in research but historically haven’t been recognized for it,” said Ted Mitchell, president of ACE, in a press release. “Instead of limiting research designations to the select institutions that award Ph.D.s, all types of colleges and universities will now be celebrated for their research contributions. That’s great news.”
The campus research enterprise
With a total of $5.74 million in research spending for fiscal year 2023, UW Bothell far exceeded the category’s qualifying investment amount of at least $2.5 million each year. This amount is in line with the University’s commitment to faculty research and its long track record in this area, with nearly $80 million in total devoted to research over the course of the last decade.
“We are proud to offer big university resources and opportunities, while providing a close-knit campus experience with small class sizes that invite our students to get to know our expert faculty,” said Chancellor Kristin G. Esterberg. “Our faculty do wide ranging and impactful research that benefits communities and garners interest across our campus, the region and the world.”
Faculty at UW Bothell encompass a diverse array of expertise and experience — from serving on a NASA team studying gravitational waves to founding a research group to examine racial disparities in health. They come from higher education institutions around the globe and engage with top leaders in industry, nonprofits and government in their work.
“What truly makes UW Bothell faculty special,” Esterberg said, “is how they welcome students to work and learn alongside them and to become partners in their world-class research. Our faculty are committed not just to being teachers and mentors but also to bringing their students — even first-year students — into their research and community projects.”
“It is an honor to be recognized by Carnegie’s new designation, which embodies the spirit of the UW Bothell campus and confirms what we have known all along — that big things, great things, can come from small places.”
Chancellor Kristin G. Esterberg
Undergraduate research experiences
Students at UW Bothell have a myriad of opportunities to engage in faculty-led research, as well as to embark on studies of their own devising with support from a faculty mentor or adviser. In these collaborative projects, students are plugged into all parts of an investigation, from conceiving the scope of a study and interviewing participants to collecting and analyzing data.
Afterward, students may even help draft and submit the work to academic publications.
For students such as Aaron Davis (Health Studies, ’21), this experience led to a first chance at being the principal investigator in a journal article. In May 2023, Davis’ first research publication, “Racial and gender disparities among highly successful medical crowdfunding campaigns,” appeared in Social Science & Medicine, an international, peer-reviewed journal.
Davis led the research from beginning to end with support from Dr. Nora Kenworthy, associate professor in the School of Nursing & Health Studies, and Dr. Shauna Elbers-Carlisle, then an associate professor in the School of Interdisciplinary Arts & Sciences.
“As a first-generation Black student, I couldn’t imagine breaking into research or having the opportunity to be exposed in such a dynamic and profound way as an undergrad,” Davis said. “The hands-on experience of getting to lead everything was really impactful for me as a scientist. It’s shaped my outlook of what I could do in science in the future and how I could contribute.”
Research by the numbers
In FY2023, UW Bothell’s Office of Sponsored Research supported faculty in receiving 36 awards and sending out 58 proposals for future funding. Of the $5.9 million received that year, more than 80% came from federal funding sources, such as the National Science Foundation.
This funding is instrumental in fostering innovative research with real-world applications and benefits, as well as in providing hands-on learning and experiences for students that they will carry with them into the world.
Among such programs funded by the NSF is the Research Experience for Undergraduates, where college students from around the country come to UW Bothell each summer for immersive research experiences in physics and math.
“Receiving recognition for distinguished work in advancing research opportunities can only benefit future research funding,” Esterberg said. “It is an honor to be recognized by Carnegie’s new designation, which embodies the spirit of the UW Bothell campus and confirms what we have known all along — that big things, great things, can come from small places.”
