Research Impact

Expand Drexel’s Research Impact

Generate new knowledge and impactful solutions by growing basic and applied research and fostering transdisciplinary collaborations both within the University and with external partners.

Goal: Achieve $250M or higher in research expenditures by 2030.

Drexel University’s total research expenditures as reported by the National Science Foundation Higher Education Research and Development is $169MM (2023). Through the Research Impact imperative, our goal is to increase Drexel’s research expenditures to $250MM by 2030. (from 16x9)
Total Research Expenditures ($ Millions)

Drexel University's total research expenditures as reported by the National Science Foundation Higher Education Research and Development is $169MM (2023). Through the Research Impact imperative, our goal is to increase Drexel's research expenditures to $250MM by 2030.

Disclaimer: The following is not an exhaustive list but rather a sampling of key initiatives. For questions or suggestions, please contact drexel2030@drexel.edu.

Initiatives

Drexel University first received national recognition in the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, designated as an “R1 Doctoral University: Very High Research Activity," in 2018 and sustained this prestigious classification in 2022. Drexel is one of 146 institutions out of approximately 3,900 to receive this prestigious classification, indicating the highest level of research activity. Notably, Drexel is one of only 39 private universities to earn the distinction and one of only six in Pennsylvania. Since first receiving R1 designation, Drexel’s performance has improved on the majority of the classification metrics. The Carnegie Classification validates Drexel’s growing reputation as a global, comprehensive research university.

In 2024, Drexel disclosed 49 new inventions and received 33 new US patents up from 26 in 2023. Total research expenditures continue to increase year over year and total $170.2MM in 2024 up from $169.5 in 2023. Over the past five fiscal years, Drexel's externally sponsored research expenditures have increased 33%.

Read the Office of Research & Innovation's (ORI) 2023-2024 Annual Report for more information.

As a result of recommendations from the Research Administration initiative team, Drexel's Office of Research & Innovation (ORI) was expanded in 2019 to better support Drexel's growing research enterprise. Initiatives include:

  • Establishment of dedicated teams to support research development, regulatory affairs and research compliance, sponsored programs, comprehensive technology transfer (Drexel Applied Innovation), and continuous improvement of research business operations and technology.
  • Undergoing rigorous review of research business guidelines and processes to ensure transparency to all stakeholders, minimize administrative burden, clearly define roles and responsibilities, and ensure that processes and policies are in alignment with industry standards and federal regulations. In 2024, ORI updated more than 60 existing guidelines or procedures and created more than six new guidelines.
  • Replacement of Drexel's research administration software system from COEUS to Novelution, launched in fall 2024.
  • Integration of Salus research.

The Office of Research & Innovation is standing up a research development team to help position the institution to increase interdisciplinary and externally funded research and to be more competitive for large and complex awards. This includes refining institutional research strategy, developing research partners, adapting research services and resources, and supporting building research teams. Initiatives include:

  • Using data and analytics to drive research strategy.
  • Better position the institution with pre-RFP interventions.
  • Tailor resources to support team development.
  • Proposal development services to improve submission quality.

Drexel University partners with academic, industry, community, and global partners to collaborate on research resulting in real-world implications and innovations.

Drexel University is supporting and recognizing research excellence in an effort to elevate Drexel's reputation and research enterprise. Initiatives include:

  • Providing seed funding to support innovative and strategic collaborations that stimulate and support the development of new research projects, the expansion of existing projects, as well as recognition of outstanding research performance. (See Drexel Selects Orthopedic Surgical Device Startup for Innovation Fund Support)
  • Establishing internal committees, such as the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Committee, to engage in activities that support different aspects of the research process, including writing retreats to support grant and publication writing, quarterly social events to support interdisciplinary networking, speaker series to spark dialogue and new research ideas, interdisciplinary meet-ups to support conversations across disciplines that lead to new collaborations, ‘how-to’ grant writing seminars to gain skills in grant submissions, and participate in SIGS (special interest groups) to learn new research methods in partnership with their Drexel colleagues.
  • As a means of supporting the ongoing development of our research, scholarship, and creative activities, as well as recognizing excellence in teaching, scholarship, and professional service, the Office of Research & Innovation and the Office of Faculty Advancement manage numerous awards for research, scholarship, creativity, teaching, and professional service. The Office of Graduate Studies also recognizes graduate and professional students for excellence in research, teaching, mentorship, and service.
  • Drexel Research Discovery, the University’s research repository, provides access to the research, scholarship and creative work produced by Drexel faculty, professional staff and students — including theses and dissertations, books, journal articles, conference papers, creative works and data sets. In January 2025, Libraries staff added the 100,000th research asset marking the latest milestone in the Libraries’ efforts to provide a comprehensive database of Drexel research and scholarly work.

Faculty Highlights: Recent Awards and Grants

Faculty in white lab coats working in a lab with microscopes.
Last term, Drexel University faculty members were recognized for their scholarly research and prolific academic and professional contributions.

Drexel Selects Orthopedic Surgical Device Startup for Innovation Fund Support

Gerri LeBow Hall
Drexel University has selected Ultrafix, a Drexel-affiliated orthopedic medical device startup, to receive support from its Innovation Fund. The company, founded by Sorin Siegler, PhD, professor emeritus in Drexel’s College of Engineering, will receive an investment of $150,000 from the fund.

Boosting the Breadth of the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center Research Consortium

Drs. Brian Wigdahl, Noreen Robertson, Kenny Simansky, Mauricio Reginato and Alessandro Fatatis represented Drexel during a site visit when the National Cancer Institute assigned the consortium comprehensive status.
Seven Drexel disciplines have joined the consortium partnership between Drexel and Thomas Jefferson University. The cancer center recently received the elite “comprehensive cancer center” designation from the National Cancer Institute, a vote of confidence in the consortium’s broadly interdisciplinary approach.

Seeing the Potential for Drexel-Salus Collaborations

The Drexel and Salus colleagues who met on Salus’ campus in November 2023 to discuss future opportunities for collaboration. Seated are Drexel graduate student Khue Dao, left, and Professor June He. Standing from left to right are PCO faculty members: Associate Dean of Optometric Special Programs and associate professor Bisant Labib, OD; Associate Dean of Optometric Clinical Affairs and associate professor Maria Parisi, OD; Assistant Professor Elizabeth Marunde, OD; Associate Professor Erin Jenewein, OD; Dean Melissa Trego, OD, PhD; Associate Professor Erin Kenny, OD; Assistant Professor Dawn Ciccarone and Associate Professor Erin Draper, OD. Photo provided by June He.
June He, a Drexel University assistant professor and eyewear design expert, connected with members of Salus at Drexel University’s renowned Pennsylvania College of Optometry program for future interdisciplinary research and classes.

Drexel Physicists Produce New Images of Milky Way Galaxy

Black sky with stripe of blue and white dust in the middle representing the Milky Way Galaxy
Physics researchers from Drexel University at the IceCube Neutrino Observatory led the production of the unique neutrino-based image of the Milky Way Galaxy using particles of matter instead of the usual electromagnetic energy.

Drexel Students, Research Community Made Their Mark on 2023 AAAS Meeting

AAAS Attendees at the Drexel booth
Drexel University sponsored the American Association for the Advancement of Science’s annual meeting for the first time, and students took home 44 percent of the poster competition awards.