The Office for Research is Northwestern’s main hub for supporting, managing, and advancing research. Led by the Vice President for Research, our team works collaboratively with faculty, staff, and students across the University’s $1 billion research enterprise—helping ideas progress from concept to funding, from proposal to award, and from discovery to real-world impact.
Northwestern’s University‑wide Research Institutes and Centers (URIC) bring together faculty from across disciplines to tackle complex scientific and societal challenges. These institutes enable team‑based discovery at scale—fostering collaboration, attracting global research talent, and amplifying impact through shared infrastructure, resources, and strategic leadership.
Paula M. Trienens Institute for Sustainability and Energy
The Trienens Institute advances global solutions to climate, energy, and sustainability challenges through transformational research, interdisciplinary education, and public engagement. The Institute connects expertise across engineering, policy, business, law, and the humanities to accelerate the transition to a more sustainable and decarbonized future.
Many CLP cores were recognized with “Outstanding” or “Excellent” awards in core facility evaluations.
Imaging, proteomics, biophysics, high-throughput screening, and structural biology serve labs across departments.
Few universities offer combined access to CAMI, IMSERC, ANTEC/BioCryo, and a comprehensive proteomics core.
The Center for Neighborhood Engaged Research and Science (CORNERS) works with community and civic partners throughout the research process—from designing projects and collecting data to analyzing and sharing results—to help create safer, healthier, and more equitable neighborhoods. Located at Northwestern’s Institute for Policy Research, CORNERS combines engaged research and network science to turn evidence into real-world action with the communities most impacted by neighborhood inequities.
The Northwestern University Clinical and Translational Sciences (NUCATS) Institute received a $55 million, seven-year award from the National Institutes of Health to accelerate the development, evaluation, and implementation of improved health interventions. This award—the largest active research grant at Northwestern—strengthens a cross-institutional hub that facilitates the translation of discoveries from the laboratory to clinical and community settings.
NUcore is Northwestern’s core facility management platform, designed to simplify how researchers request services, reserve instruments, and manage billing across shared facilities. Developed through collaboration across the University and made available as an open-source platform, NUcore reduces administrative burden while improving transparency, reporting, and access to critical research infrastructure.
