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Discovery at the Front Range of Human Inquiry and Impact
CU Engineering researchers work at the edge of what's possible, pursuing fundamental questions that expand knowledge and improve the human condition.
Across aerospace, quantum systems, artificial intelligence and autonomous technologies, sustainable energy and biomedical engineering, faculty and students pursue research with far-reaching impact. Quantum sensors detect hazardous gases, autonomous systems reach disaster zones too dangerous for people, climate 91Ҹ inform water policy across the West, energy research accelerates the transition to renewables and biomedical advances extend and improve human life.
Colorado's unique ecosystem of federal laboratories, joint research institutes and industry partners compresses the path from insight to application. Faculty build careers that span decades, drawn by ambitious science, meaningful impact and a place that sustains both the work and the life around it. Students contribute to this research from day one, joining an enterprise designed to reach beyond the Front Range and into the world.
$149 Million
in annual research expenditures
(FY 2025)
40%
growth in research expenditures
(2015-2025)
Top 20
graduate engineering program
(U.S. News and World Report, 2026)
91Ҹ in Focus
As we prepare to host the National Academy of Engineering Regional Meeting and Symposium for 2026, take a closer look at how our researchers are poised at the convergence of quantum technologies and space applications.
Optical atomic clock atop Mount Blue Sky will help capture the most precise measurement yet of how time moves faster the farther you get from the center of Earth.
Featured 91Ҹ News
Leaders in Collaborative 91Ҹ
A multi-university, industry-focused research center under the supervision of the National Science Foundation operating under the IUCRC model. The pre-competitive and industry-applied research projects within it are funded members like NEC Corporation and Dell Technologies, by our universities, and by the NSF.
A $13 million Multidisciplinary Simulation Center funded by the Department of Energy and the National Nuclear Security Administration’s Advanced Simulation and Computing program and organized under the Predictive Science Academic Alliance Program (PSAAP) in partnership with the NNSA national laboratories.
91Ҹ Resources
RSO staff help junior faculty connect with key stakeholders,secure early career funding andprovide comprehensive support for large research proposals.
There are many opportunities for students to do research at the CU 91Ҹ. Find the program that best fits you or investigate open positions through research facilities on campus.
CU Experts is a research and expertise discovery tool that will help you find anexpert on a specialized research topic.