The thrill of discovery fuels everything we do at University of Idaho. Since 1889, we’ve been solving real-world challenges through groundbreaking research, hands-on learning and a commitment to innovation.
As Idaho’s only Carnegie R1 university, we drive progress in health, natural resources, sustainability, agriculture, technology and the arts — improving lives and strengthening industries across the state and beyond.
Join us in shaping the future. Explore the vision, research and the many ways you can be part of Idaho’s land-grant legacy.
About Research at U of I
U of I is classified by the Carnegie Foundation as a High Research Activity university. We expend over $135.9 million in research dollars annually — top among public universities in Idaho.
Research Highlights FY23
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The Office of Research and Economic Development (ORED) enables, supports, performs and promotes research, scholarly and creative activities that address the needs and expectations of the state, region and world.
ORED partners with faculty, students and staff to support their creation of new knowledge, to promote the use of this knowledge and to ensure its integrity.
Our vision is that U of I activities will expand knowledge, provide solutions, foster an enhanced quality of life and cultivate an educated 21st century citizenry. Learn more about our approach, mission, team and funding.
Information and Resources
ORED connects businesses and industries with university researchers who can assist them in answering questions and solving problems. Through technology transfer, U of I discoveries are licensed to companies and launched as startups.
The office also encourages out-of-the-classroom research and scholarly and creative experiences that will expand both undergraduate and graduate students’ minds and give them the skills they need to be successful in their future careers.
Explore all resources for students, faculty and staff, and business and industry partnerships below.
Our Research Approach
We aim to break boundaries. This mindset shapes our academic programs, as well as multidisciplinary research bridging departments and colleges and involving collaborating organizations, businesses and industries.
We approach research through a sense of discovery, with the goal of advancing our world — from how our society functions to the ways businesses impact the environment. We don’t go about this alone: We’ve developed partnerships with other agencies that fund our research and allow our insights to have an effect beyond campus. Our work contributes to scientific innovation and provides businesses and organizations, including the USDA and Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fishing Commission, with data for enacting change.
We often start with a question and consider new, different solutions to formulate an answer. We also observe challenges in our own backyard — from water quality to land management to agricultural processes — and the rippling effect they have across the globe.
With this purpose, our research helps:
- increase awareness and understanding of certain diseases;
- strengthen crops and improve land and water use in agriculture;
- address our changing climate and create a more sustainable human ecosystem;
- improve food safety;
- grow our understanding of how humans interact with technology;
- apply evolutionary and computational biology to enhance human wellbeing and address agricultural concerns;
- survey and map the region’s geologic features;
- explore applications of data analytics and data science;
- spur creative and scholarly projects in the humanities, social sciences and performing arts; and
- advance the state’s agricultural efforts and natural resource conservation, including through or in conjunction with the Aquaculture Research Institute, Idaho Water Resources Research Institute and the Center for Advanced Energy Studies.
We offer opportunities to students striving to make a difference and gain experience to jumpstart their careers. Two-thirds of undergraduate students and all our graduate students participate in research.
Along with faculty-led and organization-sponsored programs, the Integrated Research and Innovation Center’s flexible, modular environment helps get ideas off the ground. The MILL at the U of I Library lets students familiarize themselves with the latest technologies, including 3-D printing and audio and video production.
Our Technologies
We’re always thinking ahead and ready to forge a new path. A broad spectrum of technologies guides our efforts:
- optical imaging;
- computing and data analysis;
- materials fabrication and characterization;
- equipment for genomics and DNA analysis;
- animal care and holding rooms; and
- mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.
Learn more about our technological capabilities and facilities.
Learn More About Research at U of I
Interested in learning more, or have additional questions about our research programs? Reach out to the Office of Research and Economic Development by email or by phone at 208-885-6689 today.