Welcome to the website for the Office of Research.  We invite you to visit us at any time – in person or through this website.  We are now located at 2269 Middle Tennessee Blvd. in the Sam H. Ingram Building, which is the old red brick church across MT Blvd. from the President’s residence.

Middle Tennessee State University is one of the fastest growing institutions of higher education in the State of Tennessee.  The university currently has over 23,000 students, with almost 2400 graduate students actively engaged in post baccalaureate programs.  MTSU is the largest undergraduate university in Tennessee and is the second largest overall.  We offer over 35 different graduate degrees (certificate, masters, specialist and doctoral) with more than 70 majors or concentrations.  All graduate programs are approved by the State of Tennessee and are fully accredited.

The Office of Research is comprised of three organization entities: the Office of Research Services (ORS), the Office of Research Compliance, and the Undergraduate Research Center (URC).  We also oversee several functions or programs that support the research enterprise, such as the Center for the Advancement of Research and Scholarship (CARS), the Intellectual Property Advisory Council (IPAC), the Faculty Research and Creative Activity Committee (FRCAC), and the Research Council.  The Office of Research invests in research and scholarship through seed grant programs administered by FRCAC and the URC.

The mission of the Office of Research is to stimulate research and creative activities by improving infrastructure, by providing seed grants and matching funds, by making researchers aware of funding opportunities, by providing expertise on pre-award and post-award grant preparation and administration, and by helping establish partnerships with public and private sector entities that benefit the students, faculty, and university.

The mission of all major universities includes teaching, research, and service.  While MTSU has always been one of the leaders in the state in teaching and service, it has recently placed more emphasis on growing its contributions in research and creative activities.  The university’s growth in externally sponsored research and creative activities over the last five years has been remarkable.  This dynamic increase in research and graduate education at MTSU is propelling the university to the next level.  I invite you to explore our web pages for information on all aspects of the Office of Research.  If you need further information, please visit us in our newly renovated building or contact us through this website.

Dr. Michael D. Allen
Vice Provost for Research and
Dean of the College of Graduate Studies