AAU Welcomes Two Leading Research Universities to Membership

The Association of American Universities (AAU), America’s Leading Research Universities, announced today that the University of Alabama at Birmingham and Georgetown University have joined the association. The addition of these two leading research universities brings AAU’s membership to 71 U.S. and two Canadian universities. 

“We are proud to welcome these two outstanding universities to AAU,” said AAU President Barbara R. Snyder. “We look forward to working together with both of them to continue advancing and improving higher education and driving the critical American university research and innovation behind the breakthroughs that strengthen the U.S. economy, lead to new cures and treatments for Americans, help hardworking farmers improve their yields and safeguard crops and livestock from disease, and help protect our military service members in the field.” 

“We are grateful to add to the breadth and depth of our membership with the University of Alabama at Birmingham and Georgetown University, each of whom reflect the extraordinary promise of research universities to expand pathways to opportunity, support the flourishing of our cities and towns, and enable faculty, staff, and students to fuel a culture of discovery and invention,” said AAU Board Chair and Johns Hopkins University president Ron Daniels. “With this expansion, we have a distinct opportunity to broaden the reach of and affirm our promise to new communities.”  

“Being asked to join the AAU is an honor that recognizes the great work and results driven by UAB’s talented faculty and staff, the support of our public and private partners, and the unwavering dedication of the University of Alabama System Board of Trustees,” said UAB President Ray L. Watts, M.D. “I want to thank the AAU Board and Membership Committee for recognizing UAB among the distinguished institutions that comprise this prestigious association. We look forward to contributing to the AAU’s important mission.”  

Georgetown University President Eduardo M. Peñalver said, "Georgetown's pursuit of innovative research is rooted in our Jesuit, Catholic values, which call us to expand human knowledge and promote the common good through the service of others. We are honored to join the AAU and to amplify the important role of Georgetown research – across the natural and biomedical sciences, the social sciences, and humanities – in building foundational knowledge, shaping discourse, saving lives, and improving communities."  

Membership in AAU is based on an extensive set of quantitative indicators that assess the breadth and quality of a university’s research and education.  

Founded in 1900, the Association of American Universities is composed of America’s leading research universities. AAU’s 73 research universities transform lives through education, research, and innovation. 

Our member universities earn the majority of competitively awarded federal funding for research that improves public health, seeks to address national challenges, and contributes significantly to our economic strength, while educating and training tomorrow’s visionary leaders and innovators. 

AAU member universities collectively help shape policy for higher education, science, and innovation; promote best practices in undergraduate and graduate education; and strengthen the contributions of leading research universities to American society. 

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