Research

Pursue impactful research and develop next-generation technologies.

In 2023, our faculty members were awarded $15.1 million in new contract and grant funding, allowing them to continue pursuing innovative and impactful research in everything from biomedical engineering to solar energy.

Electrical and computer engineering research at CU Boulder is concentrated in several broad areas, and our faculty are also part of several research centers sponsored by industry and federal grants.

Explore Interdisciplinary Research in CU Engineering

Biomedical Engineering
Computer Engineering
Electromagnetics, RF and Microwaves
Integrated Circuits & Systems
Learning, Information, Network, Communication & Data Sciences
Photonics and Quantum Engineering
Power Electronics
Systems and Controls

Sponsored Research Centers

Pursue interdisciplinary research and education opportunities through several high-impact research collaborations.

Advancing Sustainability through Powered Infrastructure for Roadway Electrification (ASPIRE)

Launched in 2020, ASPIRE will explore a diverse range of transportation questions, from electrified highways that energize vehicles to the placement of charging stations, data security and workforce development. The center is funded by a $26 million National Science Foundation (NSF) grant and led by Utah State University. 

Center for Environmental Technology (CET)

CET develops innovative observing systems for environmental applications. These advanced environmental sensors are used by governments, industry and academia. CET provides expertise for the development of new in situ and remote sensing concepts and systems through cross-linkages with faculty across the CU campus and collaborators within the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Science (CIRES) and the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). CET also provides a critically needed training ground for the next generation of environmental sensor engineers and observational scientists.

Colorado Power Electronics Center (CoPEC)

Since it was founded in 1983, the power electronics group at the University of Colorado has maintained a tradition of innovative design-oriented and application-driven research. Activities in CoPEC now span the range of applications from high-efficiency milliwatt converters for portable battery-operated systems; to hundreds or thousands of watts for computer, aerospace, telecommunications, medical and automotive power conversion; to hundreds of kilowatts for wind generation systems.