Auburn's Big Four

Vision for research at Auburn focuses on discovery and innovation in four key areas

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Auburn University researchers are working every day to find solutions to real-world problems through discovery and innovation. With an eye toward growing Auburn’s impactful research efforts significantly over the next few years, Vice President for Research and Economic Development Dr. James Weyhenmeyer is implementing a strategic research vision that will incorporate grass-roots input from faculty across the university.  With an emphasis on how Auburn can help improve the world around us, the plans for research growth will concentrate on commitments for change in four focus areas.

To move Auburn forward in these key areas, Weyhenmeyer said he will focus on strategic investments in research projects and new faculty hires for high-impact interdisciplinary teams whose work would support these core commitments.   He noted this process could be “a game changer” for the research enterprise at Auburn, with faculty-led teams bringing forward the best and brightest ideas in each of these areas through projects which are anticipated to begin in 2021.

  1. Commitment

    Improve Health and Health Care in Alabama and Across the Nation

    As we work to improve health and well-being in the state, region and nation, possible areas of focus include next-generation therapeutics, health disparities, precision medicine, chronic and infectious diseases and health-care quality and cost.

  2. Commitment

    Create Intelligent Solutions

    With an ever-changing technological landscape, Auburn is committed to being on the cutting edge of research that moves the world forward in areas such as automation, artificial intelligence, machine learning, next-generation manufacturing, quantum computing and data science.

  3. Commitment

    Create a More Secure World

    Working to foresee and counter the latest cybersecurity and homeland security threats, Auburn’s McCrary Institute for Cyber and Critical Infrastructure Security, along with the Center for Cyber and Homeland Security and Canine Performance Sciences will serve as key partners in making our world a safer place through innovation and discovery.

  4. Commitment

    Build Resilient Societies

    Auburn also remains committed to research that will advance society in areas such as energy independence and resilience, environmental sustainability, including coastal ocean science, and preserving a sustainable food water supply.

Auburn University is a nationally ranked land grant institution recognized for its commitment to world-class scholarship, interdisciplinary research with an elite, top-tier Carnegie R1 classification and an undergraduate education experience second to none. Auburn is home to more than 30,000 students, and its faculty and research partners collaborate to develop and deliver meaningful scholarship, science and technology-based advancements that meet pressing regional, national and global needs. Auburn's commitment to active student engagement, professional success and public/private partnership drives a growing reputation for outreach and extension that delivers broad economic, health and societal impact. Auburn's mission to educate, discover and collaborate drives its expanding impact on the world.