We’re a member of the Association of American Universities (AAU), meaning we’re one of the top 34 public research universities in the nation. We’re one of two AAU members in the Pacific Northwest, and the only one in Oregon.
Research is one of the things that makes us who we are. We value the curiosity that drives Ducks to seek solutions to big problems, little problems, and problems that everyone thinks are already solved. With many projects to choose from, our students get access to internships and research opportunities. In fact, 80.5 percent of our undergraduate students participate in some form of research.
Research by the Numbers
Science Advancing Society
The Phil and Penny Knight Campus for Accelerating Scientific Impact is an ambitious initiative to fast-track scientific discoveries into innovations that improve the quality of life for people in Oregon, the nation, and the world. The campus creates the intellectual infrastructure to establish Oregon as a center for both research and development, making Oregon a place where companies can start-up, grow, and stay.
A Head Start on Discovery
Innovation is our favorite UO tradition. That’s why we have the annual Undergraduate Research Symposium—to highlight the outstanding original research, creative work, and community-based projects our undergraduates produce.
Undergraduate Research Symposium
Faculty Research Excellence
Excellence in research attracts a world-class faculty to the University of Oregon. Our Health Promotion Initiative aims to promote health and well-being across the lifespan, with a particular emphasis on reducing risk for chronic diseases and associated disparities, through collaborative efforts of researchers with different disciplines.
1 Nobel Prize Winner
1 MacArthur Fellow
2 National Medal of Science Recipients
2 American Cancer Society Fellows
3 Pulitzer Prize Winners
9 National Academy of Sciences Members
41 Guggenheim Fellows
Did You Know?
More than 23,000 schools in the United States and internationally use our faculty-developed Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports programs and apps. And roughly 1 in 10 students in the United States were impacted by the use of our School Wide Information Systems.
Graduate Research
Research, both basic and applied, is an important part of learning, engaging students in the scholarly work of faculty, fostering inquiry and experimentation, and developing intellectual rigor and discipline.
Our research encompasses thousands of scholarly, scientific, and creative endeavors. We train students in the real-world knowledge and skills necessary to be successful, helping you prepare for a successful career.
An unexpected discovery by Jennifer Hampton Hill, PhD '17, while a doctoral student at the UO could someday lead to new treatments for the nearly 1.5 million Americans with Type 1 diabetes
Undergraduate Research
Undergraduate participation in research is a hallmark of a quality liberal arts education. At the University of Oregon undergraduate students from all academic disciplines are working with faculty to investigate, discover, create, and innovate; all while developing the skills to prepare them for careers in academia, industry, and the private and public sectors.
The Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program provides resources and services in support of student engagement in faculty-mentored undergraduate research and creative scholarship activities.
Fueled by a desire to travel to space, physics major, and NASA intern Manju Bangalore proves that focus, determination, and failure are all necessary for success
Economic Impact
Our discoveries do not stay confined to the laboratory—they are out creating jobs and improving the lives of the people in our state, country, and world. Our researchers receive funding from federal agencies, state governments, and private foundations to support research pushing the boundaries of our knowledge. Research creates jobs for the people who live in our communities, pay state taxes, and send their children to our schools.
Partnerships
We embolden innovation and economic development through strategic partnering and technology transfer initiatives. We are reaching beyond campus boundaries to form strategic partnerships, advancing the national research agenda in everything from theoretical physics to neuroscience and microbiology.
Students and faculty members from an array of departments are sharing the UO's downtown innovation hub with local entrepreneurs, creating opportunities for cross-pollination and exposure to real-world business activity.
Doctoral candidate P. Alex de Verteuil, whose research studies the transgenerational effects of stress, particularly the response of dietary stress on children, created the SCORE mentorship program, which helps undergraduate students of color in the sciences get their foot in the laboratory door