Research
Sustainability Research
12
Research Institutes
Including CIRES, INSTAAR, RASEI, LASP, IBS — conducting more than half of CU Boulder's total sponsored research.
75+
Research Centers
Spanning climate, energy, water, policy, and environmental science across every college and school on campus.
40+
Spinout Companies
Sustainability-focused startups born from CU Boulder research, from battery technology to methane detection and sustainable building materials.
50+
Countries Reached
Nations where CU Boulder sustainability research is actively advancing climate solutions, policy, and environmental resilience.
CU Boulder Research
Connecting Science to Solutions
At the University of Colorado Boulder, climate and sustainability research spans a wide range of disciplines — from Earth system science and space-based observation to energy systems and public policy. More than 1,000 researchers across the university contribute to this work, supported by world-renowned research institutes and centers and $767 million in annual research funding.
Much of this work is connected through long-standing partnerships with federal agencies & laboratories and local, state, and global research organizations. Together, these relationships make it possible to link scientific understanding with practical application — from observing environmental change, to modeling future conditions, to informing decisions about energy, water, and communities.
1,000+
Researchers
Faculty, scientists, and graduate students contributing to sustainability and climate research across campus.
$767M
Annual Research Funding
CU Boulder is one of the top 25 public research universities in the nation by total research expenditure.
9
Federal Partners
Including NOAA, NLR, NIST, DOE, and NASA — creating one of the densest concentrations of climate and environmental science expertise in the world.
Research Centers, Labs, and Programs
Est. 2021
An interdisciplinary hub developing innovative, scalable solutions to the world's most pressing sustainability challenges — connecting academia, industry, and policy across sectors.
Est. 2015
Launched through CU Boulder's “Our Space, Our Future” Grand Challenge in 2015 and part of CIRES since 2017, Earth Lab harnesses the deluge of Earth observation data to understand the pace and pattern of environmental change, and trains a new generation of data scientists in Earth analytics.
Est. 2022
An NSF-funded synthesis center harnessing cutting-edge data science to advance environmental and ecological research, with a mission to make environmental science more inclusive and equitable.
Est. 2013
Created in 2013 to build on the legacy of Colorado Law's Natural Resources Law Center (1980–2012), the GWC conducts research and convenes leaders on public lands, water, climate, energy, and tribal resources law — and is home to the Getches-Green clinic, one of the nation's first environmental law clinics.
Est. 2009
Dedicated to engineers tackling global development challenges, the Mortenson Center focuses on sustainable infrastructure, clean water access, and energy solutions for underserved communities worldwide.
Est. 1976
A nationally recognized center advancing research on the social dimensions of natural and technological hazards — helping communities understand and reduce vulnerability to disasters exacerbated by climate change.
Est. 2026
NPAC advances just and sustainable solutions to climate change, biodiversity loss, and declining human well-being — connecting transdisciplinary science with community needs to design, evaluate, and implement nature-based solutions with partners including the North Central CASC, USGS, and the U.S. Forest Service.
Est. 1976
The world's premier data center for cryosphere science — providing critical data on snow, ice, glaciers, and frozen ground that underpins global climate research, sea level projections, and polar policy.
Est. 2025
The SPIKE Center embeds sustainability literacy across every CU Boulder discipline through faculty fellowships, curriculum integration, student engagement programs, and the Media and Climate Change Observatory (MeCCO).
Est. 2025
Launched in 2025 as part of CU Boulder's Climate Action Plan, the SRI catalyzes interdisciplinary sustainability research and supports faculty fellowships, workshops, and strategic partnerships to accelerate translation of knowledge into climate solutions.
CU Boulder hosts more than 75 research centers spanning every college and school on campus — covering climate, energy, water, policy, environmental justice, and beyond. Explore the full directory to find collaborative opportunities.
Featured Research
CU Boulder Today | March 2026
Two Colorado Energy Office–funded feasibility studies confirm deep geothermal could power campus heating and electricity — a critical step toward carbon neutrality by 2050.
CU Boulder Today | June 2026
CU Boulder has been named one of the world's leading institutions for climate science, ranking eighth globally in the latest analysis of the most highly cited climate research institutions by Carbon Brief.
CU Boulder Today | February 2026
The Media and Climate Change Observatory at CU Boulder found global climate journalism declined sharply despite a year of record-breaking weather disasters, raising questions about media accountability.