Jackson State pushes for elite research university classification

Jackson State University is pursuing the Carnegie classification for top research universities, which requires at least $50 million in annual R&D spending and awarding 70 research doctorates. The school’s current research budget was nearly $19.5 million in 2023, and it confers about 68 doctoral degrees each year across 13 programs, with the College of Education leading in doctorates. Projects like Professor Kamal Ali’s oyster-sensor work, funded by a $26 million, 15-year grant through the MBRACE partnership, illustrate the university’s applied research focus.

In April, JSU helped launch the Association of HBCU Research Institutions, a coalition backed by Harvard to help historically Black colleges compete for larger grants. President Denise Jones Gregory emphasized that achieving the designation would benefit the city, state, and the university’s ability to attract faculty and students.