Research

Arizona State University is a member of the prestigious Association of American Universities, which comprises the nation’s elite research universities, and is one of the fastest-growing research enterprises in the United States, more than doubling its research expenditures over the last 10 years. The university continually climbs in rankings from the National Science Foundation Higher Education Research and Development Survey, which measures research expenditures across disciplines and funding sources.

ASU currently ranks No. 5 in the U.S. for total research expenditures among institutions without a medical school. Additionally, ASU is a leader in bringing innovations to market, ranking No. 7 among universities worldwide for U.S. patents issued.

ASU leads or participates in thousands of research projects affecting our society at the global, national, state, regional and local levels, including 122 active research projects in partnership with The University of Arizona.

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School of Social Work research partnerships

The ASU School of Social Work in Tucson engages in many research-based collaborations with entities such as the Child/Family Law Clinic at The University of Arizona James Rogers College of Law, Interprofessional Education Program for Interdisciplinary training for health care professionals, Arizona Geriatric Education Center, Child Welfare Training with the Department of Economic Security/Tucson, Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and related Disorders Training Grant-LEND, Frances McClelland Institute, and the Southern Arizona branch of the National Association of Social Workers.

This collaborative research focus provides Tucson students a rare opportunity to work with and receive instruction from active research faculty, experts in their field, in an intimate campus environment.

Bust in front of ASU School of Social Work in Tucson

Transforming the Southwest into a hub of green innovation

ASU also leads the National Science Foundation Southwest Sustainability Innovation Engine, a university, industry and community collaboration spanning three states — Utah, Nevada and Arizona — that aims to elevate the Southwest as a regional hub of economic development catalyzed by sustainability innovation.

SWSIE envisions a thriving future for the Southwest as a hub of green innovation, with industries and communities supported by renewable energy at low water cost, with STEM-enabled jobs and economic growth accessible to all. To unleash this potential, SWSIE is building an ecosystem of researchers, innovators, educators and decision-makers to harness STEM innovation and grow a workforce pipeline for the net zero economy.

Securing Arizona’s water future

Statewide, ASU leads critical research endeavors such as the Arizona Water Innovation Initiative, an effort to make measurable impacts to Arizona’s water security through technological developments, partnerships and applied research. Part of this initiative includes working directly with rural communities to protect their groundwater. ASU recently led a workshop in Sulphur Springs Valley in Cochise County with a wide array of local stakeholders to consider the impacts of changes in water availability and other forces driving uncertainty in the region.

The two-day workshop looked at the major forces driving community change, allowing the group to analyze and prioritize strategies for potential future changes. Participants worked together to explore and discuss groundwater and agricultural issues and identify mutual goals. One outcome of the workshop was the formation of the Sulphur Springs Water Alliance, a group that is now dedicated to effective management and conservation of the region’s water resources.

This work is documented in a new film, “Agriculture and Water in the West: A Community Takes Charge,” developed by the Babbitt Center for Land and Water Policy and the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy in partnership with the Arizona Water Innovation Initiative’s Impact Water-Arizona program. The film is being shared with wide audiences to inspire others to take action on groundwater protection. Check out the trailer and full film.

The Arizona Water Innovation Initiative has also established the Arizona Water for All program to work with Arizona’s most water-insecure households and communities to improve water security and engagement in water decision-making using community-based participatory approaches. To achieve water security,

Arizona Water for All is working to promote empowerment and participation in community water decision-making, deploy proven water security solutions such as fit-to-purpose technologies and advance measurement and monitoring of household water insecurity. Arizona Water for All hosted a Community Water Forum in Nogales, Arizona, during spring 2024, bringing together local government officials, schoolteachers, students and other community members to build a framework for addressing the water concerns of local communities in Southern Arizona.

Powering the revival of American microelectronics

Creating a resilient microelectronics innovation ecosystem is critical to America’s security and economic competitiveness. ASU is responding to this need by working with industry and government partners to reestablish America’s capacity for domestic microelectronics and semiconductor manufacturing and innovation.

The companies America is counting on to meet this challenge have an immediate need for skilled workers to advance domestic production of microelectronics. ASU is building the semiconductor talent pipeline and mobilizing the expertise and capabilities of the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering to drive research, development and innovation. Leveraging Arizona’s strong industrial base and both private and government investment in manufacturing, ASU is working to strengthen the microelectronics supply chain and secure America’s commercial, national security and energy futures.

As part of this effort, ASU is leading the Southwest Advanced Prototyping Hub (SWAP Hub), one of eight regional innovation hubs established under the Department of Defense’s Microelectronics Commons, a national strategic initiative to accelerate the development and production of microelectronics technologies that are critical to U.S. security and defense. Funded by a $39.8 million initial DoD investment, the SWAP Hub is one of the first awards under the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022, which aims to revitalize American semiconductor manufacturing capacity and competitiveness.

As the SWAP Hub lead, ASU leverages its ability to convene and engage with stakeholders across diverse sectors. The SWAP Hub’s 150+ regional and national partners work together to accelerate the lab-to-fab transition between research, development and production, and collaborate to build the microelectronics workforce of the future through development of curriculum, learning opportunities and job pathways. The SWAP Hub includes Tucson-based partners RTX and The University of Arizona.

ASU coordinates SWAP Hub activities and develops the human, physical and digital capabilities of its partners to maximize value to the DoD and advance national security priorities around microelectronics.

Research

On This Page:

School of Social Work research partnerships

Transforming the Southwest into a hub of green innovation

Securing Arizona’s water future

Powering the revival of American microelectronics