The College of Engineering has over 75 tenured / tenure-track faculty performing research focusing on solving the most pressing local and global challenges. Their nationally and internationally recognized research expertise encompasses areas such as coastal resiliency, materials for extreme environments, nanotechnology, robotics, underwater exploration, offshore wind energy, and water reuse, among others, using an interdisciplinary and user-oriented approach to integrate the discovery of fundamental knowledge and applied research to solve societal issues.

Over the past two decades, the College of Engineering at the University of Rhode Island has received 15 CAREER Awards from the National Science Foundation, representing more than half of all such awards granted to URI faculty. In addition, four faculty have received Young Investigator Awards from the Office of Naval Research. These prestigious early-career recognitions reflect not only the talent and promise of our faculty, but also the national recognition of URI Engineering’s leadership in its targeted research themes, including resilient infrastructure, advanced materials, AI/Cybersecurity, robotics, biomedical technologies, and naval and marine engineering.

This success is fueled by a rise in research activity. External research funding has grown from $6 million in 2016 to $24 million in 2024, driven by increased interdisciplinary collaboration with government, industry, and academic partners at the state, national, and global levels.