Our Research Commitment
Baylor stands apart as a Christian research university – a position that empowers our aspirations to become America’s preeminent Christian research university. This bold goal is undergirded by Illuminate, a strategic plan for the future with an overarching ambition to bring light to the world. As we build on Baylor’s historic strengths and strategically invest in new areas of research, this roadmap for growth yields research marked by quality, impact and visibility.
At Baylor, we believe all truth is God’s truth, fully open to inquiry and debate within the free marketplace of ideas that top-tier academic institutions foster. Illuminate calls Baylor faculty to engage in multidisciplinary, signature academic initiatives and contribute as mentors to undergraduates and graduate students through high-impact learning experiences. By strengthening scholarship, deepening learning and improving teaching, these initiatives will support our commitment to excellence in undergraduate education and growth in graduate education.
Collaboration is vital to finding solutions to the immense challenges facing our world. Illuminate’s signature initiatives will be developed around areas where existing collaboration is yielding results and where continued work will galvanize interest among faculty and academic leaders on campus. A grand vision requires a path imbued with deep purpose, and Illuminate defines that commitment through a distinct focus on five signature academic initiatives:
The university’s commitment to research growth and impact is further evident in the priorities of Give Light, Baylor’s ambitious $1.1 billion comprehensive philanthropic campaign. Give Light provides significant funding for research efforts university-wide through strategic, focused growth in the number of endowed faculty positions. Thanks to the generosity of an anonymous donor, a unique matching program, the Baylor Academic Challenge, will match qualifying gifts given for the purpose of establishing endowed chairs in select areas. Plans are in place to create up to 50 new endowed faculty positions, including 17 new prestigious endowed chair positions funded through the Academic Challenge gift. With each endowed position, Baylor grows in its ability to attract and retain top faculty members whose expertise enhances Baylor’s impact through research and engaged learning.