Graduate Research
Welcome to the cutting edge of innovation. Collaborate and discover breakthroughs in world-class research facilities at Northeastern.
A hub of innovation and discovery
If you want to create change—to innovate, collaborate, tap into your curiosity, drive discoveries, and engage in the world of ideas—you’ve come to the right place.
Ranked the #8 Most Innovative School by U.S. News & World Report in 2024, Northeastern is where pioneering researchers around the world come to solve 21st-century challenges. As a graduate student, these change-makers will become your mentors, colleagues, and friends.
Plus, our campuses are designed for you to unlock your creativity and tap into your curiosity in our state-of-the-art R1 research facilities. The university is home to 50-plus federally funded research centers and institutes dedicated to solving critical issues in health, security, climate change, and more.
Come explore the place where innovation happens.
Northeastern research by the numbers
From discovery to real-world application
At Northeastern, you can see your breakthroughs in the lab make a real impact in the world. Students work at the forefront of innovation in areas of research ranging from developing sustainable wireless infrastructure systems to combating cognitive diseases with human-centered solutions. Faculty and students are encouraged to develop their findings as products, services, tools, and other applications.
With resources and support from industry partners, our Center for Research Innovation (CRI) helps researchers identify commercial potential for their impactful discoveries. The CRI has been ranked in the National Academy of Inventors’ Top 100 Worldwide Universities Granted U.S. Utility Patents for seven consecutive years.
Unparalleled expertise for transformational impact
As a grad student, you can engage in discovery and work alongside experts in the field at 50-plus world-renowned research centers.
Students and researchers collaborate to solve critical security, intelligence, and resilience challenges. The Institute specializes in materials, structural testing, additive manufacturing, cybersecurity, nanomanufacturing, data analytics, systems modeling, and network science.
Students and researchers partner with experts in industry, government, and academia worldwide to solve urgent cyber challenges and keep societies safely connected. The Institute uses cutting-edge systems design and data from actual security breaches to protect personal data on connected devices, enhance cryptography, secure the cloud, and thwart malware attacks.
The Marine Science Center (MSC) addresses the deterioration of vital ecosystems due to burgeoning human populations and climate change. Students research the projected impacts of climate change, their effects on marine habitats, and how urban communities along the coast can best prepare for these impacts.
At the Global Resilience Institute, students can explore the impact of sudden disasters, both human-made and natural, and slow-moving disruptors such as climate change. The goal: to empower societies around the world to recover, adapt, and build more resilient interdependent systems and networks.
The Center for Cognitive and Brain Health (CBH) harnesses neuroimaging, behavioral, and computational studies to develop novel, interdisciplinary health interventions. CBH identifies and researches pressing problems impacting society, guiding individuals toward a future where cognitive vitality knows no bounds.
Researchers and students at the WIoT Institute envision a future in which people and their environment are wirelessly connected by a continuum of AI-powered devices and networks. The Institute is home to world-leading expertise, facilities, and technologies dedicated to making wireless communications exponentially faster, more energy efficient, and more secure.