Research & Innovation

The University of Nevada, Reno is a Carnegie® R1 research university committed to the pursuit of knowledge that addresses the important issues of our time, promotes innovation and drives Nevada's economic prosperity.

Addressing grand challenges

Over the past decade, the research enterprise at the University of Nevada, Reno has grown substantially thanks to our commitment to building an inclusive, diverse and collaborative research environment. Research & Innovation is focused on providing faculty, staff, student and industry support that enables the University’s vision of producing impactful discoveries and fostering innovation and commercialization.

– Mridul Gautam, Vice President for Research & Innovation

Faculty Research Hub

Find tools, support services and information for conducting research, scholarly and creative activities.

Working with the University

Find resources and assistance for industry and startups looking to utilize equipment, expertise or incubation space.

Transformational global impact

The University of Nevada, Reno is making a difference in Reno-Tahoe, across Nevada and beyond. Our faculty's research is helping reshape what we know about everything from anthropology to dryland agriculture, water resources and robotics.

Hands holding a light blue ribbon adorned with a red drop, depicting diabetes

Trailblazing innovator elected to the National Academy of Inventors

Inventing a brighter future

A wildfire burning at the top of a mountain ridge at night

New scientific computation techniques to enhance wildfire and earthquake prediction

Preparing for natural disasters

Digital illustration of a dark blue torso with the stomach and esophagus highlighte in bright pink

Meet the scientist behind vital esophageal research on how food moves through our bodies

Preventing acid reflux

The research team taking plant samples in a Costa Rica peatland area

Geography students conduct fieldwork in Costa Rica’s vital peatlands

Exploring critical ecosystems

Andrei Derevianko standing in front of a floor-to-ceiling whiteboard with equations and sketches, and leaning on a ladder used to access the full whiteboard

Meet our researchers who go where knowledge leads

Andrei Derevianko, Ph.D., is a professor of physics searching for the minute effects that dark matter might have imprinted on atomic clocks aboard GPS satellites – a level of expertise and theoretical modeling that is unique to the University of Nevada, Reno.

Read more about our world changing researchers

Powered by numbers

The University of Nevada, Reno is leveraging research and entrepreneurial activities to prepare skilled workers, develop the next generation of technology leaders and expand economic growth statewide. As a Carnegie® R1 institution, the University is classified among America’s top 187 comprehensive, doctoral research universities.

R&D expenditures

$194.1 million in fiscal year 2024 contributing research-based advancements, generating jobs and infrastructure for Nevada.

Highly productive faculty

Ranked 99th among the nation’s 420 public institutions for R&D expenditures with an average of $298,000 per faculty member in fiscal year 2023.

Major research awards

204 of the active research awards in fiscal year 2024 exceeded $1 million each in funding.

Worldwide collaborations

University researchers collaborated with 1,670 international agencies in fiscal year 2024.

An asset to Nevada

$2.2 billion in statewide economic impact annually, equivalent to 1% of Nevada’s total gross state product.

World-class research facilities & infrastructure

The University is home to dozens of state-of-the-art laboratories and facilities and more than 60 research centers that anchor our pioneering work in areas ranging from engineering research to sustainability in Lake Tahoe and the Great Basin region. Learn more about how our industry-leading infrastructure supports our research.

Earthquake engineering
The largest, most versatile large-scale structures earthquake/seismic engineering facility in the U.S.

Cyberinfrastructure
High-performance computing contributes to deeper discovery across a range of disciplines.

Institute for Neuroscience
Multi-disciplinary research that drives collaborative approaches to understanding the brain.

Innevation Center
Collaborative space in downtown Reno empowering Nevada’s next generation of leaders.

Shared centers and cores
Shared resources offer faculty, scientists, students and industry access to services, training and high-end instrumentation.

Museums and collections
Diverse museums, galleries and attractions are dedicated to furthering the cultural education of Northern Nevada.

ScholarWolf
Digital repository that collects, preserves and distributes intellectual output for preservation and scholarly communication.

Agricultural station
Addressing environmental and natural resource concerns and supporting agricultural industry through research.

University Libraries
Offering a breadth of resources and learning environments with some of the most technologically advanced library facilities in the country.

Whittell Forest & Wildlife Area
A living lab of forested mountain land in the Sierra Nevada, dedicated for research, instruction and community outreach.

Zebra Pulsed Power Lab
Unique capabilities, found nowhere else in the nation, to study matter under extreme conditions similar to star interiors.

Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology
Addressing needs for geologic information such as earthquake hazards, mapping and mineral resources.

Student-driven discovery & innovation

Students are critical to our research enterprise. Through collaboration and opportunities, students are exploring and engaging, and helping to foster innovation and drive meaningful discoveries. Find out how we're creating a research-focused, experiential learning environment at the University of Nevada, Reno.

Beyond the classroom walls

Experiential learning is a central theme of education at the University of Nevada, Reno. There are many opportunities for students of all disciplines to expand their college experience and gain an edge in their career field or in the pursuit of a graduate degree. Funded opportunities range from international travel experiences to community-based projects that contribute to solutions for local issues. Around 150 students participate in the Nevada Undergraduate Research Symposium every spring to showcase their work.

Get involved in undergraduate student research

Graduate education redefining exploration

With a full breadth of master's and Ph.D. opportunities and acclaimed faculty and facilities, students will find room to pursue educational and research pursuits in an accommodating environment that places a premium on academic excellence. The Graduate School prepares students for bright futures with support, training and professional development resources.

The Graduate School

Reimagining the Innovation Ecosystem

In today’s globally connected, knowledge-based economy, a key driver of prosperity is the pace of innovation. We are capitalizing on this insight with our Innovation Ecosystem to facilitate commercialization, regional collaboration and faculty competitiveness in a unique way. It’s connecting the University with industry and entrepreneurs, tangibly contributing to economic development and the creation of jobs, and supporting the creation of student and faculty startup businesses.

$343 million raised by Innovation Ecosystem startups

People working at tables in the Innevation Center

175 companies currently engaged in the Innovation Ecosystem

Close-up of orange-gloved hands lifting a tray out of a chiller piece of lab equipment

905 jobs created through the Innovation Ecosystem

Two people working in the Black Rock Press with one holding out a paper sign that says "NEVADA"

56 companies with University-based operations

A person working at an experimental set-up in a hood with protective gloves and a second person observing in the background

A legacy of discovery

Our groundbreaking research and impact on society.

Psychology professors Trixie and Allen Gardner with Washoe the chimp

Washoe the Chimp
In a revolutionary experiment raising chimpanzees, Washoe was the first nonhuman to learn American Sign Language.

Psychotherapy advancement
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy has helped people worldwide use acceptance, mindfulness and values-based methods to improve social wellness.

James Church sitting at his desk in his campus office

Measuring water content in snow
An invention from over a century ago greatly advanced the development of snow science and continues to be impactful today.

Thomas Kozel facing a research subject in a med school lab

Essential for the World Health Organization
Rapid diagnostics are saving lives from infectious diseases in third-world countries.