LINCOLN- The University of Nebraska-Lincoln took a significant step toward securing its future in the Big Ten Conference, which would preserve its membership in the academically prestigious group and its access to the highest level of college sports. The University of Nebraska system announced that the National Science Foundation has agreed to let UNL and the University of Nebraska Medical Center combine their annual federal research funding when responding to the foundation’s annual survey of national colleges and universities.

Securing this change addresses a key issue that the Association of American Universities cited in 2011 when it took the unprecedented step of kicking out UNL. Iowa State University resigned from the AAU in 2022 to avoid a similar fate. Leaders at UNL and Iowa State have said some AAU leaders had prioritized medical research over agricultural research when evaluating their academic peers.

The NU Board of Regents has pledged to do all it can to help UNL rejoin the AAU, including boosting research ties between UNL and UNMC in Omaha. Interim NU President Chris Kabourek said reporting research as a single University of Nebraska was “a first step.” He called it “a big deal” and said it “instantly makes Nebraska look more like our peers.” But, he stressed, it is one of many steps needed.

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