As a liberal arts college that’s also a successful research institution, Barnard offers its students myriad opportunities to learn from some of the best minds who conduct research on campus, around New York City, and throughout the world. Taking notice of the College’s expanding research accomplishments, the American Council on Education (ACE) and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching recently announced that Barnard has received a new Research Activity Designation for colleges and universities that historically have not been recognized for their research because they do not offer doctoral degrees.
Barnard’s designation as one of the country’s 216 Research Colleges and Universities (RCU) — one that attracts more than $2.5 million in research funding annually — showcases the College’s commitment to providing students the opportunity to study with stellar faculty as they pursue active research programs. In fact, during the 2023 fiscal year, Barnard had a total of 51 principal investigators (PIs), co-PIs, and senior personnel on 65 active awards that are valued at more than $18 million.
“We are honored to receive this designation, which recognizes the substantial research activity and impact of the Barnard faculty,” said Rebecca L. Walkowitz, Claire Tow Professor of English and Provost and Dean of the Faculty. “We have been research leaders among liberal arts colleges for many years, so the activity and impact are not new for us. But the recognition is new, and I am delighted that it will bring enhanced visibility to the contributions of our excellent faculty.”
“Before these updates, it was not clear what was required for institutions to earn a research designation. This confusion created distractions and unproductive competition between colleges and universities,” said Mushtaq Gunja, executive director of the Carnegie Classification systems and senior vice president at ACE, in the announcement. “Now the designations are more straightforward, and we are hopeful they will better capture the wide array of institutions whose missions include research. Research is one of the pillars of American higher education, so it is crucial we have a comprehensive view of how it is reflected at institutions across the country.”
How Barnard Excels
The College’s world-class faculty are dedicated scholars whose work across disciplines — STEM, the social sciences, arts, the humanities — drives new products, policies, and practices that solve problems. Included in the wealth of innovative research that takes place on campus and beyond Barnard’s gates are the grants below:
“Writing With/On Computing”
In the upcoming academic year, Saima Akhtar, senior associate director of the Vagelos Computational Science Center — in collaboration with the Brown Institute at Columbia Journalism School — will once again teach a course that intersects data science, visual arts, and narrative journalism. With a $100,000 grant from Columbia University, the course will equip students with the skills to understand and articulate the complexities of technology’s impact on social systems, particularly focusing on underrepresented communities in the media. The curriculum is designed to bridge quantitative analysis and qualitative storytelling, emphasizing interactive data visualizations as a critical aspect of contemporary journalism. It seeks to cultivate a new generation of storytellers adept at using data for insightful storytelling — aligning with Barnard’s mission to produce well-rounded, socially conscious graduates.
“RUI: Criminal Competition and Collective Political Mobilization in Comparative Perspective”
Eduardo Moncada, Claire Tow Associate Professor of Political Science, received a $230,928 grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) on New Year’s Day to research more deeply the relationship between organized crime and access to public goods. The study uses multiple methodologies and emphasizes the training of undergraduate students to gain experience collecting and analyzing different forms of data as part of carrying out social science research.
“U.S. Scholar Program: Semiconductor Manufacturing Process-Aware Language Design”
With a $50,000 grant from the Fulbright Program received last fall, Mark Santolucito, assistant professor of computer science, has been working to bridge the cultural and technological gaps in the semiconductor industries in the U.S. and South Korea, with the overarching goal of reducing manufacturing challenges. Over a six-month visit, Santolucito intends to curtail the lag in U.S. semiconductor production, garner a deeper understanding of AI, and apply his research to the classroom for students interested in entering the semiconductor manufacturing industry.
“WoU-MMA Particle and Gamma-Ray Astrophysics with VERITAS and CTA: Understanding the Nature of Cosmic Accelerators”
Last August, Reshmi Mukherjee, Helen Goodhart Altschul Professor of Physics & Astronomy, was awarded $830,000 from the NSF for a project that helps prepare the next generation of scientific leaders by introducing undergraduate students to frontier research and training graduate students and postdoctoral scientists who are beginning their careers. Students and early-career researchers will carry out frontier research in particle astrophysics within a state-of-the art, high-energy astrophysical facility; and, group members will have the opportunity to mentor students from under-represented communities in the sciences. This project advances the objectives of “Windows on the Universe: The Era of Multi-Messenger Astrophysics,” one of the National Science Foundation’s “10 Big Ideas for Future NSF Investments.”
Advancing Women’s Education
Barnard is one of only five women’s colleges — alongside Bryn Mawr, Smith, Spelman, and Wellesley — and the only one located in New York City on the list of more than 200 to receive the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education recognition. Barnard has steadily increased its research spending, proving its commitment to faculty research and, by extension, to supporting students as they learn to lead and cultivate careers. The Class of 2023, for example, saw 91% employed or attending graduate or professional school six months after they graduated.
Advancing faculty research while supporting the intimacy of an undergraduate college is foundational to Barnard’s DNA — which is what the new research activity designation confirmed. “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,” said Ted Mitchell, president of ACE.
Learn more about Barnard’s student research programs here and the 2025 Research Activity Designations here.