At Northwestern, research sparks change.
Our faculty, students, and partners team up across disciplines to ask big questions, solve tough problems, and turn bold ideas into real solutions. From breakthroughs in medicine, engineering, and AI to advances in sustainability, the social sciences, and the arts, Northwestern is deeply connected to the world it serves. Welcome to where innovation meets what matters.
Discover how our work makes a difference.
Northwestern's 22 interdisciplinary research institutes and centers produce groundbreaking discoveries with real-world impact.
From nanotechnology to biological sciences, energy, sustainability, and policy, their pioneering research transcends boundaries, sparking collaboration across disciplines and schools to solve problems and improve lives.
Northwestern’s institutional priorities advance cutting-edge research to address global challenges.
Our scientists and researchers deliver cutting-edge treatments and cures through their pathbreaking work.
Northwestern's expertise in sustainability is driving impactful solutions to the climate crisis.
Data science and AI drive innovation across STEM, the arts and the humanities.
Our social science and global studies hub will nurture research collaborations in liberal arts, policy and beyond.
Northwestern faculty are pioneers in team science and interdisciplinary research, tackling urgent challenges to create new knowledge and meaningful innovation.
Professor Andy Papachristos is working alongside those most affected by gun violence in order to reduce shootings, understand risk factors and empower communities. His team's research shows that violence intervention efforts are making a difference.
Northwestern mineralogist Steven Jacobsen analyzes lunar soil for moon-based, 3D-printed construction. The professor of Earth and planetary sciences has received funding from NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center to help unravel the mystery of this destructive, varied moon dust.
The Lucks Laboratory developed a home test that can detect common contaminants in water. The collaborative research led by Professor Julius Lucks uses a technology that harnesses the “molecular taste buds” found in bacteria and programs them to glow when they detect a contaminant.
Northwestern researchers study brains to better understand memory, aging and the human spirit. Clinical neuropsychologist Tamar Gefen from the Mesulam Center for Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer’s Disease helps lead the center’s SuperAging Program, which studies older individuals with exceptional memories.
Northwestern cultivates a vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem for faculty and students, driven by the Innovation and New Ventures Office (INVO). INVO manages intellectual property and assists faculty in launching companies through the state-of-the-art Querrey InQbation Lab. Students thrive at The Garage, a dynamic hub for incubating ideas and accessing essential support.
Empowering innovation, elevating excellence.
The Office for Research enhances Northwestern's research programs by fostering interdisciplinarity, collaboration and innovation. It provides the enabling infrastructure—including core facilities and University-wide research institutes and centers—to support thematic research communities and strategic priorities while empowering researchers to drive discovery with societal impact.
At Northwestern, student research starts on day one. The Office of Undergraduate Research awards funding to hundreds of students each year; a majority of these students are engaged in independent research and creative projects.
Research team found the drug Duavee significantly reduced cell growth in breast tissue, a key marker of cancer progression
New non-toxic material is water- and oil-resistant, sustainable and affordable
‘These laws are a form of labor-market discrimination that is best left behind,’ professor says