Research

With top-flight faculty, state-of-the art facilities, and collaborative environments, Brown’s research mission is making a direct impact on the health, well-being, and experience of people and communities around the world.

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Research

With top-flight faculty, state-of-the art facilities, and collaborative environments, Brown’s research mission is making a direct impact on the health, well-being, and experience of people and communities around the world.

Brown’s distinctive approach to teaching and learning sets it apart among leading research universities.

At Brown, renowned professional schools, research centers, and institutes tackle everything from cancer and Alzheimer’s to climate change and the ethical advancement of AI. Brown researchers, supported by a rich network of partnerships and cutting-edge laboratories and facilities, have the tools and resources to make groundbreaking advancements and drive innovation.

Thanks to philanthropic support from the Brown community, the University is well positioned to be a global leader in research that improves lives and deepens our understanding of our world.

6,000 +

faculty, scientists, staff, postdocs, and graduate students conducting research

$ 374M

total research and development spending in 2024

365

provisional patent applications filed

from 2020 – 2024

16

startups founded on Brown intellectual property

from 2020 – 2024

950 +

undergraduates collaborating with faculty on research and teaching each year

4,052

research awards

from 2020 – 2024

These are challenging times for research at Brown and at colleges and universities across the nation. Shifts in the funding landscape and growing federal compliance demands have affected operations in our schools, institutes, and centers. And yet what we have seen from our researchers here at Brown—their flexibility, innovation, and commitment to advancing knowledge—has been nothing short of inspiring.

Francis J. Doyle III Provost

Innovative research is advanced every day at Brown, including:

  • School of Engineering research that is improving tissue engineering to replace the heart muscle cells of heart attack survivors
  • School of Public Health researchers developing a wastewater surveillance playbook to provide guidance on a range of actions available to public health officials
  • Biomedical research that could lead to treatments to restore movement for those with diseases like spinal muscular atrophy or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
  • Computer scientists conducting research to understand and control so-called “black box” AI by creating tools that inspect, diagnose, and manipulate high-level algorithms
  • Scientists at the Carney Institute for Brain Science reconciling theories of how humans store and retrieve information in the short-term, with implications for dopamine-related disorders like Parkinson’s disease, ADHD, and schizophrenia
  • Researchers from the Institute at Brown for Environment and Society partnering with other universities and institutes in New England to create a coastal resilience research hub aimed at addressing climate change related challenges faced by low-lying communities
  • A Cogut Institute for Humanities initiative exploring the modes of thinking, being, and doing that have shaped AI and could shape its possible futures
  • Identifying effective ways to remove PFAS—or “forever chemical” pollutants—from water and waste systems in the School of Engineering
  • Developing an innovative combination of virtual reality plus electric brain stimulation as a promising treatment for PTSD among military veterans in The Warren Alpert Medical School
  • An effort led by the School of Public Health to explore how AI can revolutionize methodologies in social sciences and public health by analyzing massive, unstructured data to address affordable housing, predicting commodity prices, and poverty alleviation policies

Brown brings research innovation and nearly $250 million in research spending into the Rhode Island economy each year. Additionally, with the only schools of medicine and public health in the state, the University contributes to world-class medical care, strong patient outcomes, and innovative solutions for pressing health challenges facing communities across Providence and Rhode Island.

Donating to Brown means giving back to the University that gave us all so much. I encourage my fellow alumni to consider the impact they would like to have on Brown today and Brown tomorrow. For me, this means donating to both the Brown Annual Fund and the Research Resilience and Innovation Fund. As a breast cancer survivor, I know the important role that scientific advancements played in my treatment and recovery. The impact of research institutions goes far beyond the walls of the University. I feel that this is a uniquely important moment to stand behind our research institutions to ensure they are able to continue their important work.

Sarah Johnson ’98

Learn more about:

School of Engineering

Brown’s engineers are both deeply trained problem solvers and broadly trained problem seekers who grapple with complex issues that affect our daily lives.
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School of Public Health

Going beyond preventing disease to reshaping health care and safeguarding vulnerable populations, the school is improving human health on a large scale.
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The Warren Alpert Medical School

Brown’s medical faculty, staff, and students are invested in discovery, service to society, and the health of individuals and communities.
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Carney Institute for Brain Science

The brain is the body’s most complex organ. Unlocking its mysteries, therefore, necessitates a multi-layered, collaborative approach like that of the Carney Institute.
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Institute at Brown for Environment and Society

Assuring a sustainable, just and equitable future for our planet and its people is one of the greatest challenges of the 21st century. The Institute at Brown for Environment and Society (IBES) answers this critical call.
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Cogut Institute for the Humanities

Humanists, artists, social scientists, and physical and life scientists come together to deepen their approach to problems of global significance.
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Biomedical Research

Being diagnosed with a chronic or long-term disease can be devastating, so Brown is committed to building outstanding research teams focused on improving people’s lives.
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Sustain the strength and impact of Brown’s research enterprise.

Gifts to the Research Resilience and Innovation Fund provide direct, operational support for critical Brown research and essential scholarship facing delay or disruption due to current instability in awarded federal funding.

Make a gift

For more information about research giving opportunities, please contact:

David Keeffe
Associate Vice President of Development, Principal Gifts
david_keeffe@brown.edu
+1 (401) 863-2308

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