Research

Become a Change Maker

Real challenges bring real solutions

As South Florida’s only public research university, our drive to make our world a better place has earned us a distinction few other universities can match:

R1 Carnegie Very High Research Designation, the top-tier category for doctoral research universities.

Research by the numbers

$237M
in research expenditures
107
inventions disclosure last year
63
U.S. Utility Patents for last year

Research pillars

Environmental Resilience
FIU has a long history of environmentally focused programs conducting relevant research in service of conservation, management and the well-being of people and nature.
Health
FIU’s excellence in health-related fields extends from research to practice. The university has made a real commitment to the local community and beyond.
Justice
Combined with the university’s history of engagement and expertise in Latin America and the Caribbean, FIU’s Global Forensics and Justice Center is perhaps the world’s most comprehensive of its kind.
Innovation
Ranked No. 2 in innovation by U.S. News & World Report, FIU is already recognized as one of the country’s most innovative universities.

Insatiable curiosity drives us

Neural-Enabled Prosthetic Hand
FIU was awarded a $6 million grant by the Department of Defense (DOD) to expand testing of their pioneering prosthetic hand system – which allows amputees to "feel" again – to military veterans and other amputees.
Aquarius Reef Base
FIU is working to preserve vital ecosystems from the world’s only underwater research laboratory. To date, Aquarius has secured more than $15 million in research funding, established the world’s deepest coral nursery and investigated sharks’ impact on coral reefs — helping FIU to reach R1 research status.
Wall of Wind
FIU’s 14-foot-high, 12-fan hurricane simulator recreates the power of 157 mph winds. Cutting edge research at the Wall of Wind is helping inform building standards, foster new technologies and increase the resilience of our buildings, lifelines and infrastructure systems.
Arctic Ocean Research
FIU researchers are taking "fingerprints" of the Arctic Ocean to better predict the trajectory of changes to the area’s geochemistry. The National Science Foundation (NSF) invested approximately $20 million in the U.S. Arctic GEOTRACES expedition where FIU is conducting this research.
Center for Translational Science
The Center for Translational Science (CTS) is part of a complex in Port St. Lucie, Florida. A two-hour drive from the university’s main campus, the CTS serves as a natural extension of FIU’s research prowess, and presents an opportunity to work in support of scientific advances to make a difference in patients’ lives.
Origami Antennas
The Air Force Office of Scientific Research awarded FIU close to $10 million to expand its groundbreaking research on origami antennas. FIU professor Stavros Georgakopoulos is enhancing the agility of warfighters in the battlefield and their satellite communications with the development of his advanced origami-based antenna.

Raising the bar

A Preeminent Program at FIU is defined as a collaborative endeavor that demonstrates extraordinary success in providing unique learning opportunities, pioneering research and engagement for our students.

These programs add value and prestige to FIU through their cutting edge contributions to research. Browse our selection of programs to see how you can become a part of the change in the world.

A child running — Center for Children and Families
The Center for Children and Families is a nationally recognized, interdisciplinary clinical research center committed to improving the lives of children and families struggling with mental health concerns.

Someone climbing through rubble in a war torn city. — Extreme Events Institute
The Extreme Events Institute (EEI) has become a globally involved center for research, education, and training in natural hazards and disaster risk management.

A user analyzing evidence on a laptop — Global Forensic and Justice Center
The Global Forensic and Justice Center brings together four programs that establish FIU’s deep expertise in the arenas of forensic science, forensic services and justice administration.

A view of the ocean from underneath a pier — Institute for Resilient and Sustainable Coastal Infrastructure
The Institute for Resilient and Sustainable Coastal Infrastructure (InteRaCt) identifies engineering solutions for challenges faced by aging infrastructure and develops innovative and economical technologies for the creation of resilient and sustainable communities.

A diver diving to the Medina Aquarius Reef base in Key Largo, FL — Institute of Environment
The Institute of Environment brings together one of the largest groups of faculty and students associated with environmental science in the United States.

A student welding together a race car — STEM Transformation Institute
The STEM Transformation Institute is dedicated to advancing educational research, practice and policy that facilitates educational change across the k20 educational landscape.

Research facilities

From the Everglades in South Florida to the Arctic Ocean at the North Pole, FIU researchers are using real innovation to make a real difference. We have more than 30 state-of-the-art research facilities and recharge centers that provide access to high end instruments, cutting edge technologies and services.

Learn more about our research facilities

Supporting women in STEM

FIU is committed to fostering diversity and inclusion through various
programs and initiatives like those of the FIU Knight Foundation School
of Computing and Information Science that help propel women and
underrepresented communities into technology degrees, careers and
leadership positions:

The Gender Equality in Tech (GET) Cities Initiative
The Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI) Ambassador Program
The National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering (NACME)

Our students make local and global impact

It's not just faculty performing research, explore how our students have recently made valuable contributions to science, environmental resilience, forensics and more.

Andrea Ramirez-Torres
**Andrea's research lead her to create an innovative alternative method to identify suspects of sexual assault.**

Tametayo "Tayo" Olowu
**Tametayo has led many projects with FPL, and holds a patent for interconnection of energy resources**

Kazue Orikasa Lopez

During her undergrad career, Kazue has become co-founder of two patents, and landed an internship at NASA.

Christian Sanchez

Christians' research focuses on insecticide resistance, with a focus on mosquitos that transmit Zika and Malaria.

Morgan Fatowe
**At just 21 years old, Morgan has already conducted groundbreaking research that’s been published in a top academic journal.**

Our researchers frequently appear on the Discovery Channel’s Shark Week!

Our scientists are also leading the international GLOBAL FINPRINT, A MULTI- MILLION DOLLAR INITIATIVE that will fill a critical information gap about the diminishing number of sharks and rays.

Off the coast of Thailand, marine scientist Mark Bond examines the underside markings of a manta ray to determine species and sex.

We lead institutions from the U.S. to Australia conducting surveys that will improve our understanding of how sharks and rays influence coral reef ecosystems and how humans impact these species and their habitats.

Meet the people behind the work

Our researchers take on the toughest problems of our time to create marketable solutions. Half a century, 300+ patents and more than $2 billion in awards later, we're just getting started.