The Geophysical Institute (G.I) is a major research unit on the UAF campus that carries out research in the geosciences, atmospheric sciences, remote sensing, aeronomy, and space physics. Many of its members hold joint faculty positions with UAF academic departments, including the Physics Department. Together with its research faculty, the GI offers a wide range of scientific opportunities for graduate student research through research assistantships.

Space Physics and Aeronomy Group - This research group, within the Geophysical Institute, comprises research faculty as well as academic faculty members who hold joint appointments with the Physics Department. Many physics graduate students have graduate advisors from within this faculty and hold Research Assistantship positions in the Geophysical Institute.

The Poker Flat Research Range (PFRR) is owned and operated by the Geophysical Institute and is the only non-federal, university owned and operated range in the world and the only high-latitude, auroral-zone rocket launching facility in the United States of America. The range has been primarily dedicated to the launch of sounding rockets for the purpose of auroral and middle to upper atmospheric reseearch. Range operations are funded through contracts with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the range has been operating under a cooperative agreement between NASA and the Geophysical Institute since 1979.