Research & Discovery
At Columbian College, scholars and scientists join student researchers to challenge assumptions and
Advance the forefronts of knowledge.
Research
Discovery and innovation are a Columbian College tradition—from our century-long research partnership with the Smithsonian Institution to our state-of-the-art Science and Engineering Hall. As a member of the prestigious Association of American Universities (AAU), George Washington University is a distinguished leader in global research. Whether our scholars are observing celestial bodies light years from Earth or examining the roots of diseases like tuberculosis and malaria, Columbian College faculty and students are uncovering age-old mysteries and finding solutions to 21st-century challenges.
13
CCAS research centers
and institutes
$21M
annual college research expenditures
500+
permanent full-time faculty members
720+
average annual
faculty media hits
Impact
Faculty Research
Columbian College faculty are prolific authors, awarding-winning scholars, innovators and artists. They are recipients of Guggenheims, Pulitzers and NEH fellowships, and are published in top media outlets and journals.
Student Research
From labs and classrooms on campus to field sites around the globe, Columbian College students work side-by-side with world-renowned researchers and scholars on a journey of cultural and scientific discovery.
Centers & Institutes
Columbian College is home to top research centers and institutes that explore an array of issues and ideas such as the origins of humankind, the inner workings of the brain and the growth of solar energy.
"Research has definitely broadened what I know about myself and what I want to do in the future. It's really changed my perspective on my career goals, and I'm very excited to keep going on that path now."
Sarah Schrup
BS '19
Faculty Books
Faculty Research Conversations
Research Making Headlines

Oldest Pterodactyloid Species Discovered, Named by International Team of Researchers
An international research team has discovered and named the earliest and most primitive pterodactyloid—a group of flying reptiles that would go on to become the largest known flying creatures to...

GW Researchers Release First Case Studies to Analyze Inclusive STEM-Focused U.S. High Schools
New studies out of the GW are taking a closer look at a type of high school that is rapidly emerging across the United States: Inclusive, Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)-...

GW Researcher Receives $1.3 Million for Type 2 Diabetes Study
A Columbian College researcher will receive $1.3 million over the next five years from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive...

Researchers Create Method to Rapidly Identify Specific Strains of Illness
Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) and George Washington University (GWU) have developed a method to rapidly identify pathogenic species and strains causing illnesses,...

George Washington University Researcher's Study Reveals How Throwing Made Us Human
Little leaguers and professional baseball players alike have our extinct ancestors to thank for their success on the mound, shows a ...

GW, Smithsonian Research Delves into Distinctive Areas of Science
Bee pollination of particular plants, fungal impact on mineral erosion and wood decay, and physical attributes of ray-finned fish all have something in common: They are being studied by Columbian...