Student research

The College of Engineering is a hub of innovation, where students at both undergraduate and graduate levels work alongside esteemed faculty members to develop cutting-edge solutions to some of the world’s most pressing challenges. By taking a multidisciplinary approach to problem-solving, our researchers look at challenges from different angles and perspectives, bringing fresh insights and unique solutions to the table. The result is a dynamic and exciting environment where collaboration and creativity flourish, leading to breakthroughs that have the potential to change the world as we know it.

Graduate level research

Graduate students are strongly encouraged and, in some programs, obligated to engage in research during their academic tenure. Research is conducted under the supervision of a faculty advisor and is not restricted to students in thesis programs.

Research forms the foundation of Carnegie Mellon University, and graduate students play a vital role in advancing it. Research opportunities provide students with the skills required to effectively solve problems and prepare them for careers in government, industry, and academia.

Research by department

Biomedical Engineering

Chemical Engineering

Civil and Environmental Engineering

Electrical and Computer Engineering

Engineering and Public Policy

Mechanical Engineering

Materials Science and Engineering

Major research institutes

CyLab Security and Privacy Institute

Manufacturing Futures Institute

Wilton E. Scott Institute for Energy Innovation

Undergraduate level research

In the College of Engineering, more than 60% of undergraduate students take advantage of the opportunity to work alongside renowned faculty researchers on innovative projects. This involvement helps students develop technical skills in a collaborative environment, which is essential in the field of engineering. Research allows younger students to explore different areas of study and identify their interests. For upperclassmen, research can lead to more advanced graduate work. Through these experiences, the College of Engineering prepares students to become trailblazers in the world of technical endeavors.

Research news

Dec 26

News & Events

Ph.D. students run “Cup of Wontons” stall at market

Darren Cheng, Chase McDonald, and Jenny Chang have been running a successful wonton stall at the Squirrel Hill Farmers Market since fall 2023.

Researchers have made it possible for non-experts to formally prove that their code is correct, reliable, and secure.

Enabling developers to write provably correct software

Dec 20

News & Events

Taking a chance on ambition

The Dowd Engineering Seed Fund for Graduate Student Fellowships funds innovative research proposals.

Dec 18

Advanced Manufacturing

A solid step for polymer rings

A new discovery about how ring-shaped polymers behave has the potential to enable new ways for scientists to design more sustainable materials.

Dec 16

Artificial Intelligence

Beyond silicon computer chips

Tathagata Srimani is creating transformative NanoSystems by augmenting silicon with transformative technologies to create faster, more efficient computing systems.

Dec 13

Artificial Intelligence

The trend is your friend … and so is machine learning

Grasping both general market trends and finer details, a new, hybrid machine learning model from researchers in the Department of Mechanical Engineering predicts financial market volatility with increased accuracy.

Dec 10

Energy & Environment

Domestic, circular supply chain for EV batteries

SeaLion Energy, a CMU-led startup, received funding from the U.S. Department of Energy ARPA-E to extend EV battery life and facilitate repair and reuse to reduce waste.

Keith Cook joins a multi-institutional, DARPA-funded project to create a novel ECMO and advanced life-support system device capable of rapid deployment to support wounded military personnel.

CMU-developed artificial lung gives lift to DARPA project

Dec 5

News & Events

Recalling moments and mentors

Dean Bill Sanders says Milestone Moments encourages students and junior faculty that there are many ways to put their extraordinary talents and exceptional education to use.

Dec 4

News & Events

Project ELEVATE charts course for faculty success

The 2024 Project ELEVATE retreat welcomed participants from Carnegie Mellon University, Johns Hopkins University, and New York University to Philadelphia for lectures, work sessions, workshops, and networking.

Dec 2

Artificial Intelligence

Blending the virtual and physical worlds

Civil and environmental engineering faculty have developed a testbed to make AI-enabled digital twins more accessible in the curriculum, but it is also proving valuable in active infrastructure research.

Nov 29

Artificial Intelligence

Multimodal machine learning model increases accuracy

Researchers have developed a novel ML model combining graph neural networks with transformer-based language models to predict adsorption energy of catalyst systems.

A regional team led by EPP researchers has received ARISE funding to analyze the workforce of North and North-Central Appalachia and develop tools to match workers’ skills with evolving industry needs.

EPP research will help workers navigate evolving technology

Nov 22

News & Events

ChemE alumna’s fleet decarbonization solution wins hackathon

Saaksshi Jilhewar (ChemE ’23) applied her training in chemical engineering and AI to lead her team to victory in a global hackathon for sustainable and affordable energy.

Nov 20

Artificial Intelligence

CMU-Africa expands digital public infrastructure initiative

The Upanzi Network will fund research projects in Morocco, Botswana, and South Africa, with plans for additional partnerships.

Nov 18

News & Events

Alumna receives Society of Women Engineers award

Siya Scindia was chosen from among thousands of student members for her outstanding leadership.

Nov 14

Artificial Intelligence

A new set of eyes

Researchers develop the first wearable camera that uses artificial intelligence to help prevent medical administration errors.

Nov 12

Health & Biomedicine

Biological neural circuits critical for neurodegenerative disease therapy and biohybrid robot control

To support the development of new therapies for neurodegenerative disease and advance biohybrid robots, Jessica Zhang and Victoria Webster-Wood will lead a project to develop computational tools to predict neuron growth and transport regulation.