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Research

Moving Discovery Forward

University of Houston researchers and inventors are transforming ideas into innovations. Our innovators are developing new technologies that span across the delivery of healthcare to harnessing our natural resources. We are also thought leaders around the creation of art and designing programs that support our diverse Houston community.

Research at A Glance

  • 1,065Ranked Faculty
  • $109MSponsored Funding
  • $169MResearch Expenditures
  • 15National Academy of Engineering Members
  • 4National Academy of Science Members
  • 1Nobel Laureates
  • 58Total Winners of NSF CAREER Awards (since ’96)

Latest Research News


Undergraduate Research

UH’s undergraduate students hone their skills through a multitude of opportunities to conduct faculty-mentored research projects. These experiences enhance students’ abilities to sharpen their leadership, critical thinking and problem solving skills that will fuel their success in organizations, institutions and communities after graduation.

Researcher in Lab

Graduate Research

The UH Graduate School cultivates and fortifies academic excellence in graduate and professional education. A Carnegie-designated Tier One Research University, UH offers master’s degrees in 133 fields and doctoral degrees in 62 fields. With more than $150 million in research expenditures in fiscal year 2015, UH delivers more than 6,000 graduate students valuable opportunities to research under esteemed scholars, who are invested in basic research, knowledge sharing and transferring research into real-life applications and technologies.

National Research Centers

UH leads five nationally-funded centers, comprising numerous collaborations with partner institutions and industry. Sponsored by nearly $20 million in funding, these centers pioneer groundbreaking research in the areas of energy, materials, psychology, laser mapping and homeland security.

University Centers

University Centers

UH also has five highly-visible university-supported centers and numerous core research facilities, many of which are available to outside researchers and the UH research community.

Innovation and Entrepreneurship

UH’s rapid investment in its innovation ecosystem is strategically significant for entrepreneurial faculty, students and alumni interested in guiding new discoveries into the market place or establishing partnerships to launch new companies. In fact, UH earned the designation as an Innovation and Economic Prosperity University by the APLU.

UH ranks #1 in the nation among all public universities without medical schools in royalties from technology transfers. With more than $22 million a year in royalties, UH has seen a 400% increase in patent income since 2010.

  • $33.8MRoyalty Earnings (FY2017)
  • 30U.S. Patents (FY2017)
  • 66Invention Disclosures (FY2017)
  • 11National Academy of Inventors Members

The University’s Energy Research Park and Bauer College of Business provide integrated facilities and programs focused on innovation and entrepreneurship, all which synthesize new concepts from ideas though invention.

  • UH Innovation Center & Labs

    UH Innovation Center & Labs

    UH's Innovation Center and Labs offer opportunities for fast-moving startups interested in connecting to entrepreneurial resources or moving technologies to the next level.

  • NSF I-Corps

    NSF I-Corps

    Through UH's National Science Foundation I-Corps program, UH shepherds new technologies to commercial development.

  • Wolff Center for Entrepreneurship

    Wolff Center for Entrepreneurship

    WCE is an excellent source of entrepreneurially-minded students who create and participate in startup companies based on UH technologies.

  • RedLabs

    RedLabs

    RED Labs is UH’s startup accelerator and tech co-working space designed to help companies make a rapid start.

  • 3 Day Startup

    3 Day Startup

    3 Day Startup is a three-day intense workshop where students can accelerate their ideas into companies.

  • Small Business Development Center

    Small Business Development Center

    The UH Small Business Development Center is a great on-campus resource for startups or more established companies.

Division of Research

Division of Research

UH’s Division of Research bolsters its growing research enterprise from the development of large-scale multidisciplinary research efforts through the patenting and licensing of technologies. The Division’s robust sponsored research and compliance endeavors are designed to shepherd all levels of researchers — faculty, staff or students, sponsored or non-sponsored — through efficient and ethical research protocols.

The Cave virtual reality

“The Cave” is a virtual reality laboratory that combines 3-D images, smells, and sounds to replicate real life scenarios. Social workers at UH use this tool to help people learn coping mechanisms to overcome substance abuse.