BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The University of Alabama at Birmingham has joined the Association of American Universities, becoming the first and only AAU member in Alabama.
The AAU announced Thursday that UAB and Georgetown University have joined the association, bringing its membership to 73 research universities — 71 in the United States and two in Canada. The AAU last added members in 2023.
Membership in the AAU is by invitation only, 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 is made up of America’s leading research universities, which earn the majority of competitively awarded federal funding for research.
“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.”
“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.”