Research

Building You a Better Tomorrow

Planetary defenses against asteroids. New medical treatments, devices and materials to enhance the lives of millions of Americans. Clean, safe water for drinking and irrigation.  Quantum technology to protect data from hackers. Thousands of new jobs in Colorado and across the country.

As one of the top-ranked R1 research institutions in the U.S., ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½Æƽâ°æÏÂÔØ conducts research that impacts your everyday life. U.S. universities are improving lives and leading the world in innovation—but we need your help to keep the pace of our progress.

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Help us spread the word about the importance of university research. Together, we can grow the United States' competitive edge and continue improving the health and safety of communities across Colorado, the country and the globe.

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Learn ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½Æƽâ°æÏÂÔØ Our Research

 

Space

 

Read ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½Æƽâ°æÏÂÔØ the Latest Research at ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½Æƽâ°æÏÂÔØ

Exploring Space to Help People on Earth

For decades, ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½Æƽâ°æÏÂÔØ researchers have helped advance our understanding of Earth from space through cutting-edge instruments like Libera. By tracking the planet’s energy balance, this work provides critical insights into climate, weather and the systems that sustain life on Earth, demonstrating how space research directly benefits people around the world.

New ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½Æƽâ°æÏÂÔØ-built hardware flying high aboard the International Space Station

5 upcoming trips to the moon and how ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½Æƽâ°æÏÂÔØ scientists are involved

ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½Æƽâ°æÏÂÔØ space research honored by NASA

 

8 

planets visited by instruments created at the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP)

 

19 

ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½Æƽâ°æÏÂÔØ-affiliated NASA astronauts

 

 

34 

of the best and brightest minds in aerospace honored with prestigious Smead Scholarships since 2007

Enhancing the Lives and Well-being of Millions of Americans

Our researchers illuminate the underlying causes of diseases, conditions and chronic pain, devise solutions and roll out accessible treatments, such as new prosthetics and materials for repairing worn-out body parts.

From napkin sketch to operating room: Designing a safer hip surgery tool

Is wildfire smoke bad for your health?

Overpopulation can impair fertility. New study explains why

 

100+ surgeries

in the hip region have been transformed by using a new surgical instrument designed by CU professors

 

89+ 

life-enhancing biotech startups have launched from ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½Æƽâ°æÏÂÔØ research in the past 20 years

 

 

Billions

of dollars contributed by ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½Æƽâ°æÏÂÔØ health-related research to Colorado economy

Creating Pragmatic Solutions to Climate-Related Challenges

At ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½Æƽâ°æÏÂÔØ, we blend environmental science and data science to tackle the most pressing issues on this planet, like where we are most vulnerable to wildfire and how we can manage that risk.

Wildfires are moving faster. Here's what that means for Colorado

Why remembering the Big Thompson Flood of 1976 matters today

The mile-high city is short on shade

 

First

student-run campus environmental center in the U.S.

 

40 million 

people in seven states ensured safe, sustainable water through ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½Æƽâ°æÏÂÔØ Western Water Assessment

 

No. 8

among world's top institutions for climate science research 

(Carbon Brief, 2026)

Accelerating Colorado's Quantum Revolution

Research based on quantum science—the study of the universe at the most fundamental level—could revolutionize everything from timekeeping and medical imaging to space travel and data encryption.

Recent grad heads to Washington to help shape quantum policy

ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½Æƽâ°æÏÂÔØ enters next phase to develop national quantum networking capabilities

A new kind of entanglement helps quantum sensors tune out noise

 

1st 

nuclear clock in the world under development at Professor Jun Ye’s lab

 

10,000 

quantum-related jobs projected to be created in Arvada, Boulder and other parts of Colorado over the next decade

 

 

$1 billion 

projected statewide economic impact from Colorado’s quantum industry

*University policy requires that personal advocacy efforts by employees be done on personal time, outside of university work time, and without the use of university resources that include—but are not limited to—university computers, printers and other devices, email or other university platforms, office supplies, and other university resources. In addition, employees and students are not authorized to express the university’s position on issues of social and political concern but may express their own opinions as individuals and in compliance with law and policy.