Auburn University established the Peaks of Excellence Program. The purpose of
the peaks program is to establish the infrastructure needed to promote, enhance
and nourish research in carefully selected areas of research where a high level
of expertise has been demonstrated. Fundamental emphasis is therefore to recruit
and retain highly qualified faculty members in areas that complement existing
strengths to position Auburn engineering to become a nationally and internationally
recognized research leader.
A team of external reviewers was selected through the consultation of American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), which visited the Auburn University campus to conduct an onsite evaluation. Based on this study seven areas of research were identified as areas for priority funding from the university.