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As thousands of researchers, educators, policy makers and industry leaders gather in Denver this week for the annual , University of Colorado Boulder faculty—including Nobel Laureate Tom Cech—will be prominently featured.  

Massimo Ruzzene, Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation, Dean of the Institutes, CU Boulder

Alongside other prominent scientists from around the world, more than a dozen CU Boulder faculty will present on a variety of important space, climate, health and technology related topics, underscoring the university’s impact as a widely recognized leading research university. A unique combination of excellence in research and innovation and our success in maximizing the impact of those efforts set Colorado’s flagship research university apart, even in the company of the nation’s top research institutions. 

CU Boulder has long been regarded as a global leader in fields like atomic, molecular and optical physics, aerospace engineering, and earth and environmental sciences. We are also a pioneering institution in areas as diverse as quantum physics, environmental law and the fine arts. Excellence in research and innovation are at the core of the education students earn at CU Boulder, but the quality of our faculty’s work is only part of the equation. 

Equally important is the environment at CU Boulder—one that extends beyond labs, classrooms and studios. This expanded set of opportunities that we call our “ecosystem” includes the diverse partners we work with to drive innovation, and to translate research, scholarship and creative work into educational outcomes, products, services and programs with real-world implications. 

And what an ecosystem we have. We work with the top universities around the country, and with many four-year, two-year educational institutions and community colleges right here in Colorado. We collaborate daily within the nation’s densest cluster of national laboratories, which includes NOAA, NREL, NIST, USGS and many more. We partner with many of the world’s most innovative companies—from Lockheed Martin to Google—and the next generation of industry superstars thriving in one of the most prolific startup hubs in the U.S. Supporting these partnerships are our state and federal government partners who offer policy and funding support to accelerate progress. With this ecosystem working as a team, CU Boulder is uniquely positioned to launch the discoveries of our faculty and students into the world. 

Research and innovation outcomes that extend beyond our campus demonstrate the full potential of what higher education offers, not just to students but to all of society. A few recent examples demonstrate what is possible when we work with government, academic and industry partners to amplify the excellence of our faculty and the impact of their scholarship:  

• With foundations in our earth and environmental sciences strengths as well as our proficiency in translating discovery into market solutions, the Colorado-Wyoming Climate Resilience Engine (CO-WY Engine) was recently selected as one of 10 NSF inaugural Regional Innovation Engines. The award unlocks up to $160 million in funding over 10 years and cements our region as a national leader in environmental and climate technology initiatives. CU Boulder will enable data analysis, monitoring tech and predictive analytics, as well as contributing to the creation and acceleration of new startup companies and helping to lead and govern the Engine.
• As a recognized hub of social sciences excellence, our works with stakeholders from academia, government, industry and communities to address a wide range of critical issues facing children, families and society as a whole. A few examples
  • The is  to reduce health disparities for underserved youth ages 3-17 impacted by violence.
  • Alongside other experts from academia, industry, and non-governmental organizations, IBS' director to inform policy as the U.S. transitions to a net-zero carbon economy.
  • The —at the request of the Colorado State Legislature—is to improve accessibility for marginalized groups.
• Built on CU Boulder’s legacy in quantum science and technology and a growing movement to create pathways for students’ future workforce opportunities, momentum in quantum has continued to build, especially through collaborative efforts with the State of Colorado. An OEDIT-funded, CU Boulder-hosted event in the fall outlined needs for a quantum-ready workforce and, subsequently, a statewide coalition of higher education and industry partners unveiled the detailed vision for Colorado to leverage its legacy as a national quantum leader into workforce development and educational opportunities for students and workers across the state. Topping it all off, CU Boulder recently announced seven winners of OEDIT-funded translational quantum research seed grants incentivizing quantum innovations launched from the lab to speed their development into new programs and businesses.

It’s no wonder that CU Boulder attracted a record $684 million in research last year.  While this number quantifies the size of the research enterprise, it does not fully convey the excellence across the broad range of innovation, scholarship and creative work—fields with impact not as easily measured through dollars and cents.

Our faculty and students are identifying and tackling humanity’s toughest challenges, and our funders agree that CU Boulder is worthy of their investments. The unique combination of our outstanding faculty and our excellence in translating discovery into the real world make CU Boulder a world-class institution, even when sharing a stage with leaders from around the globe.

Massimo Ruzzene
Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation, Dean of the Institutes, CU Boulder