Top 2%
NDSU researchers are among the top two percent of scientists in the world
R1 Ranked
NDSU is a nationally top-ranked research university
$190.3 million
FY23 research expenditures; 19% increase over FY22
At NDSU, we stand proudly on the frontier of new knowledge. Here, we believe that brighter horizons are always in sight, and every breakthrough brings us one step closer to changing the future. From pioneering work in agricultural sciences to creating advancements in technology and engineering, NDSU is a beacon of innovation near and far.
About the Office of Research and Creative Activity
The Office of Research and Creative Activity is dedicated to connecting researchers at all levels with the tools and resources they need to develop successful research programs. This includes helping to find funding opportunities, developing your research budget, maximizing opportunities to work with industry and much more.

At the forefront of cutting-edge technology and solutions to solve today’s challenges
Trailblazers in innovation: Our faculty researchers are at the leading edge of breakthroughs
Kalpana Katti
Kalpana Katti, University Distinguished Professor of civil and environmental engineering, joined NDSU in 1997 as a post-doctoral researcher. She has helped pioneer a way to use clay to generate material that closely resembles human bone. That innovation was used as the foundation of the Center for Engineered Cancer Test Beds to test new drugs and drug delivery systems and study how cancer spreads to bone.
Jagdish Singh
Jagdish Singh, professor and chair of the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, conducts mechanistic studies for developing and testing novel delivery technologies to deliver biotechnologically derived molecules (e.g., peptide, protein and gene) for the treatment of diabetes, cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. Singh has been at NDSU since 1994 and has been in his current role since 2002.
Xin (Rex) Sun
Xin (Rex) Sun is an associate professor of agricultural and biosystems engineering and the Uncrewed Autonomous Systems (UAS) Faculty Fellow at NDSU, where he leads transformative research in precision agriculture. His work integrates artificial intelligence, robotics, remote sensing and hyperspectral imaging to enhance the efficiency and sustainability of livestock, crop and food production systems.
Dean Webster
Professor and chair of the NDSU coatings and polymeric materials department, Dean Webster, has several research interests, including polymer synthesis, polymerization reactions, bio-based materials, combinatorial and high throughput methods. He has worked at NDSU since 2001, and has close to 20 years of industry experience.
Driven by a passion for discovery, our students are constantly chasing far out ideas
Alyssa Boyko, a freshman studying biological sciences, is working in NDSU assistant professor of pharmaceutical sciences, Roberto Gomes’, lab assisting in research that uses an alternative drug to chemotherapy to kill pancreatic cancer cells.
Research Opportunities for Undergraduates
As a top-ranked R1 institution, you’ll find ample opportunities to get involved with cutting-edge research that seeks to create solutions for national and global challenges. Undergraduates can find research opportunities across several labs on campus to make a meaningful impact and to build skills that apply directly to any program of study.
You’ll even have the chance to present your research to the broader community during Student Research Days and the Summer Poster Session Program.
Take Your Graduate Research to a New Level
Join fellow graduate students to celebrate the innovation, communication and impact of graduate research during the annual Three Minute Thesis competition. The event allows you to showcase your cutting-edge research ideas into an engaging three-minute presentation for a panel of judges and a public audience while challenging you to present your work clearly and concisely. Winner’s of the 3MT win $1,000 and are invited to to represent NDSU at the Western Association of Graduate Schools regional competition.

Graduate students serve as leaders in the lab, amplifying the research efforts underway across campus and the state
Cole Williams, a plant sciences graduate student and ag research technician in the plant sciences department, is currently researching how to breed North Dakota soybeans to survive in drought conditions in western North Dakota.
