Research
The College of Engineering has over 240 tenured/tenure-track faculty, each bringing complementary areas of research expertise to address pressing global challenges. Their state-of-art-research looks at critical issues in materials, processes, systems, infrastructure, hardware and software at every scale—nano to macro to global—grounded in a translational approach that integrates the values of fundamental and applied research.
Our faculty boldly innovate by collaborating across engineering disciplines and the university, as well as with government, academia, and industry. The College of Engineering has more than 20 multidisciplinary research centers and institutes with funding from eight federal agencies. Our commitment to conducting transformative research to better the world can be seen by our growth in external research funding, which exceeds $100 million annually, and by an investment in research facilities such as our 223,000 square foot, six-story Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Complex and 367,000 square foot, eight-story EXP facility for teaching and research.
Research At-A-Glance
External Research Funding (FY2024)
Research Centers and Institutes
Young Investigator Awards (as of Aug. 2024)
Patents 2018-Aug. 2024
Related Resources
Understand how Northeastern partners with industry for research and workforce development
View the faculty directory for more information on individual researchers.
Recent News
Light & Matter! Bringing Color-Changing Art to Life
Researchers led by MIE Associate Professor Hongli Zhu have developed a method for writing multicolor images into cellulose-based photonic gels using light. Published in Advanced Functional Materials, the study on “Grayscale Photomasks Enable Noncontact Optical Patterning of Hydroxypropyl Cellulose Gels for Dynamic Art” combines machine-learning-guided calibration with grayscale photomasks to create images in a single 10-second ultraviolet exposure.
Sternad and Krotov Win Best Conference Paper Award at BioRob 2026 for Whip Control Study
COS/ECE University Distinguished Professor Dagmar Sternad and Aleksi Krotov, MS’20, PhD’26, bioengineering, won the Best Conference Paper Award (Second Place) at the IEEE RAS/EMBS 11th International Conference on Biomedical Robotics and Biomechatronics (BioRob 2026) in Edmonton, Canada for their paper “Hitting a target with a whip: The center of mass as a simplified internal model to control the whip,” which will be published in IEEE Transactions in Medical Robotics and Bionics.
Forever Chemicals Raise Pregnancy Blood Pressure Risks
Bouvé/CEE Assistant Professor Julia Varshavsky led a Northeastern study linking exposure to “forever chemicals” (PFAS) during pregnancy with an increased risk of hypertension later in gestation, particularly among first-time mothers and those carrying female fetuses.
Unlocking the Secrets of Cellular Memory
BioE Professor Ning Wang explores how cells retain and respond to past physical forces, advancing our understanding of cellular memory and opening up new possibilities for treating aging and various diseases.