Do you have a passion for scientific discovery?
The world needs big thinkers like you, and NAU is a natural partner to your personal mission to find answers to the big and small mysteries of the world.
World-class research, faculty, and institutes = Boundless Impact
At NAU, we’ve always been a part of the world and a partner to it—starting in our hometown of Flagstaff, a city that prizes innovation. NAU, widely recognized as a higher-research institution, has built a reputation for scientific discovery and the invention of new technologies. Comprised of some of the best and brightest scientists from all over the world, NAU research faculty are committed to exploring our world and expanding our knowledge. From astrophysicists and climate scientists to bioinformaticians and geneticists, our talented research faculty are leaders in their fields. They bring their passion for discovery to their labs and their classrooms, helping to educate the next generation of scientific thinkers.
At NAU, our faculty lead a broad range of initiatives, many of which have developed into university-wide centers or institutes that drive excellence in strategic areas of interdisciplinary research, such as the Pathogen and Microbiome Institute, the Center for Ecosystem Science and Society, and the Center for Materials Interfaces in Research and Applications.
Looking for a way to make an impact discovery and innovation, while helping to provide real-world research opportunities to students? You can make a real difference by donating to one of these funds:
- Undergraduate Research Fund - At NAU, students from all majors find a world of ideas that lead you to a lifetime of discovery. Undergraduate students can engage in scholarly inquiry and apply research skills for greater learning in every subject—the arts, astronomy, business, Earth sciences, education, and more – while connecting with students and expert faculty around the university and to scholars and cultures throughout Arizona, the nation, and the world. Attend the annual Undergraduate Symposium on April 22 to witness hundreds of students present their creative discoveries, in-depth research, and scholarly work. Learn more on the Symposium webpage.
- Pathogen and Microbiome Institute (PMI) - PMI is a multi-disciplinary research center at NAU that performs cutting-edge research on both pathogenic and commensal microbes, with the goal of advancing the human condition through the careful application of state of the art microbial and genomic science. PMI is committed to undergraduate and graduate student research training in an internationally-recognized world-class facility. Learn more on the PMI webpage.
- Center for Ecosystem Science and Society (Ecoss) - Ecoss faculty, staff, and students study how ecosystems respond to and shape environmental and climate change and work to communicate those discoveries in new ways to local and global communities. Collaborating with national laboratories and home to state-of-the-art research facilities, Ecoss trains scientists to apply broad trans-disciplinary thinking and leading-edge methods to the pressing challenges facing Earth. Learn more on the Ecoss website.
- Center for Materials Interfaces in Research and Applications (¡MIRA!) - Materials Science is a transdisciplinary field spanning medicine, physics, chemistry, to engineering. Materials Science makes an impact: from saving the environment, bringing renewable energy technologies to market, to creating new materials for medicine. Featuring a diverse faculty (50% underrepresented minority/50% women), ¡MIRA! has created a center that is equally good at creating world-class materials as nurturing a world-class diverse workforce through research opportunities for high school students to postdocs. Learn more on the ¡MIRA! website.
