UAB has become Alabama’s first member of the Association of American Universities (AAU), joining a group of 72 institutions that includes Georgetown University as well as Johns Hopkins, MIT, and Stanford.

AAU membership recognizes leading research universities in the U.S. and Canada based on excellence in research, scholarship, and education.

Provost Janet Woodruff-Borden said the invitation reflects UAB’s strength in both research and education and highlighted ongoing growth through the Research Strategic Initiative and the Student SUCCESS initiative.

UAB President Ray Watts said that increased research funding translates into lifesaving outcomes and reflects the university’s rising prominence in research and education.

The AAU Board Chair and Johns Hopkins University President Ron Daniels commented that the expansion could broaden the reach and impact of the AAU.

UAB President Ray L. Watts credited faculty, staff, partners, and the University of Alabama System Board of Trustees for earning the invitation and expressed eagerness to contribute to the AAU’s mission.

Ray L. Watts expressed honor at the AAU invitation and looked forward to contributing to the AAU’s mission.

UAB’s research strength is reflected in health-related school rankings, including NIH funding rankings for the School of Health Professions, School of Nursing, School of Dentistry, and Heersink School of Medicine, with multiple Heersink departments in the top 25 nationally.

Barbara R. Snyder, President of the AAU, welcomed UAB and outlined the organization’s goal of advancing higher education, science, and innovation in the U.S. economy and public well-being.

Snyder emphasized that AAU member universities contribute to advances across medicine, agriculture, and national defense, highlighting collaboration to drive higher education and national innovation.

UAB reports more than $915 million in annual research expenditures and is Alabama’s largest employer with over 37,000 employees.

UAB’s academic portfolio includes more than 180 degree programs and consecutive record freshman enrollments.