Faculty researchers nearly doubled the amount of competitive external funding awarded to Texas Christian University in 2025-2026, marking another milestone in the university's growing research enterprise.

For Reuben Burch, vice provost for research, the story goes far beyond the numbers. The increase reflects a research culture that is becoming more ambitious, more collaborative and more visible while accelerating TCU’s path toward reaching Carnegie Classification of a Research 1 higher education institution (R1).

Burch recently discussed what is fueling that momentum and what comes next.

It’s hard to believe you are wrapping up your first full year at TCU. How would you describe the state of TCU’s research enterprise heading into year two?
We’re really in good shape. I’d say we’re probably a year to a year and a half ahead of where people expected us to be. Even me. It demonstrates we’re capable of doing anything that we want to accomplish here at TCU, but we still have a long journey ahead. A lot of times you can be viewed as an overnight success, but you were 10 years in the making.

TCU faculty increased competitive research awards 79.7% in a single year. What does that achievement tell you about the trajectory of research at TCU?
This shows that many TCU faculty were already very research hungry. This is a good reminder that our researchers are ready to run and an equally good reminder that we have to provide the infrastructure that allows them to keep running. It’s also a good reminder of the commitment to service the research office had before I got here.

TCU also doubled internal seed funding for faculty researchers in your first year. Why is this important?
Internal seed funding is one of the smartest investments a university can make. Great ideas often need just enough support to generate the preliminary data needed to make larger federal proposals competitive. Every dollar we invest internally can return many more in external funding while creating opportunities for students and faculty alike.

What has impressed you most about TCU’s faculty during your first year?
The researchers were already here. The momentum came from helping unlock their potential. When I arrived at TCU, I didn’t find a faculty that needed to be convinced that research mattered. I found a faculty that was ready. Ready to collaborate. Ready to compete. Ready to pursue bigger opportunities. Our job in the Office of Research and Creative Activity has been to remove barriers, connect people, invest strategically and build the infrastructure that allows great researchers to do what they do best. What we’ve seen this year isn’t the result of one person or one office. It’s the result of incredibly talented faculty and students being given more opportunities to succeed, and I think we’re only beginning to see what’s possible.

Is there a particular project, partnership or breakthrough that best illustrates the momentum you’re seeing across campus?
We had so many great wins this year, so picking a favorite is almost impossible, but Dr. Jean Rivera Perez (associate professor of communication sciences and disorders) receiving his first NIH RO1 (National Institutes of Health Research Project Grant) as a primary investigator (PI) is right up there. A veteran researcher like Dr. Emily Lund (professor of communication sciences and disorders) helping a colleague become a first-time PI, that’s who we are. You may only impact one person’s career, but that’s enough. That’s why we give back.

You often say R1 is an outcome, not the objective. What do you mean by that?
The two metrics necessary for R1 status are research doctoral graduates and research and development expenditures. If we shoot for R1 and just hit the mark, we may barely sustain those two numbers. Therefore, we must shoot for much more. Additionally, I also believe that we can’t let those two numbers define us. A university is much more than just R&D expenditures and Ph.D. graduates. Those are important, but they are merely two aspects, especially given TCU’s history as a liberal arts university. To me, that’s why it’s more than just about R1 status.

Many people see research funding as a metric. Why should students, alumni and the broader TCU community care about this growth?
Competitive research funding means you’re competing against the best researchers in the country and winning. When our faculty win those awards, students benefit immediately through new research opportunities, better technology, stronger laboratories and professors who are creating the future instead of simply teaching about it. Success in research strengthens the entire university, building upon what is already the best student experience in the country.

If we’re having a conversation about TCU research in 2031, what do you hope we’re focusing on?
As a process engineer, I hope we’re talking about consistent growth because consistent also means sustainable. Sustainable also means we didn’t overstretch and we keep all those incredible things we are an institution. Honestly, I hope it’s a mundane discussion in 2031 because the system is running itself, faculty have the infrastructure and service support they need, everyone has bought in, and the process has demonstrated it works. Instead, I hope the conversation centers around the work the faculty and students have been doing for the past five years that is changing Fort Worth, Texas, and the world.

-Jen Floyd Engel