Researchers at the University of Alaska Fairbanks are breaking new scientific ground and making world-changing discoveries. Several major research units are housed in the collaborative environment of the UAF campus and take advantage of UAF’s unique location to support our scientists’ teaching, research and discoveries.

Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station

The Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station conducts research to enhance the quality of life in Alaska through development of natural, economic and human resources. Research emphasizes factors typical of high latitudes. It is designed to provide the information and technology needed to manage renewable resources for the economic and social well-being of Alaskans. Specifically, this work includes studies of natural and manipulated ecosystems, sustainable soil productivity, food safety, genetics for improved economic plants, enhanced livestock production, economic and legal aspects of resource use, silviculture and forest management, resource use for tourism and recreation, and education and communications in resources management.

Arctic Region Supercomputing Center

The Arctic Region Supercomputing Center provides supercomputers, computational research, mass storage systems, visualization and high-speed networking to advance science, research and technology in several disciplines, ranging from geophysical phenomena of the Arctic to new breeds of high-performance software and microprocessors. ARSC is a member of the national Coalition for Academic Scientific Computation and the NSF-supported Center for High Performance Reconfigurable Computing.

Geophysical Institute

Founded in 1948 primarily to study auroral interference with high frequency telecommunication, the Geophysical Institute has become a world-renowned center for the study of a wide range of geophysical phenomena.

The institute’s proximity to the Arctic makes it ideal for the study of high-latitude geoscience. In support of the university’s general research objectives, GI has major research programs in tectonics and sedimentation, volcanology, seismology, cryophysics (snow, ice and permafrost), atmospheric science, remote sensing and space physics. GI operates two satellite ground stations with data processing and user services, a rocket range for space research, a volcano observatory, an earthquake information center, a climate research center and a geochronology laboratory.

Institute of Arctic Biology

The Institute of Arctic Biology was established in 1962 to advance basic and applied knowledge of high-latitude biological systems through integration of research, student education and service to Alaska and the nation. IAB is Alaska’s principal research and educational unit for investigating high-latitude biological systems and providing policy makers necessary knowledge to interpret, predict and manage biological systems.

IAB research focuses on wildlife, conservation biology, ecology, ecosystems, physiology, evolution, genetics, biomedicine and health science. IAB faculty deliver the entire curriculum for undergraduate biology majors, an ever-increasing component of chemistry/biochemistry majors’ curricula, and offer wide-ranging, hands-on opportunities for undergraduates in field and laboratory research.

Institute of Marine Science

The Institute of Marine Science conducts marine science studies in the world’s oceans, with special emphasis on arctic and Pacific subarctic waters.

The faculty provide expertise in marine biology and biological, physical, chemical and geological oceanography. Instruction is carried out through the graduate program in marine sciences and limnology in the School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, where degrees are offered at the master’s and doctoral levels in various fields of marine science.

Research efforts cover a wide range of disciplines, and some projects are components of large national and international cooperative programs. Institute of Marine Science researchers also participate actively in the broad marine science community, serving on a variety of national and international steering committees, boards, panels and advisory committees.

International Arctic Research Center

The International Arctic Research Center was established in 1999 as a cooperative research institute supported by both the U.S. and Japanese governments. Funding comes from the National Science Foundation and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in the U.S. and from the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency.
IARC serves as a focal point of excellence for international collaboration and provides the arctic research community with an unprecedented opportunity to share knowledge about science in the Arctic, with an emphasis on global climate change research. The primary mission of the IARC is to nurture, integrate and synthesize research being conducted internationally by individuals and groups in order to distinguish between natural and human-made changes in the present global warming trend. This effort will make the prediction of global temperatures in the future more accurate. More than 20 international groups and 60 scientists are collaborating with IARC, allowing the institute to meet the UAF mission and goals in a concrete way.

Institute of Northern Engineering

The Institute of Northern Engineering, the research branch of the College of Engineering and Mines, was established in 1981 to provide engineering faculty and students with research opportunities and facilities. INE’s mission is to engineer solutions for the world’s cold regions. In the past 20 years, INE has expanded its focus to include research conducted in civil, electrical, environmental and mechanical engineering; chemistry; computing science; wireless sensor networks; prototype automotive design; Alaskan ores, geology and mineral deposits; petroleum and natural gas resources; energy management for remote areas; nano-scale materials; and water resources. INE provides resources and opportunities for faculty and students to study such unique areas as arctic hydrology, renewable energy sources for rural areas, ground water contamination, environmental remote sensing, robotics, ecological engineering, cold regions infrastructure, materials technology, mining-related problems in permafrost regions, feasibility studies on mineral deposits and environmental studies related to mining.