Research
The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences leads NIU's research and scholarship efforts. We are committed to supporting research at both the graduate and undergraduate levels, providing undergraduates with opportunities to participate in faculty-mentored research and scholarly activities.
Our faculty are also actively conducting research, some of which is funded by grants from the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, U.S. Department of Education and National Geographic. In many cases, their research becomes an opportunity for students to engage in learning outside the classroom.
The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences accounted for 51% of NIU’s external funding in FY24, securing more than $26 million.
FY2024 Research Highlights
- New books published – Beatrix Hoffman, Michelle Lilly, Ismael Montana, Micah Morton, Scot Schraufnagel and Bob Brinkmann.
- Project ICECHIP, an $11M NSF-funded study of hail, allowed 21 NIU students the opportunity to conduct field research alongside national and international researchers.
- Mathematical Sciences Professor Ilya Krishtal was named a Fulbright Global Scholar for 2025-26.
- Physicist Roland Winkler presented on a new kind of magnetism at AAAS annual meeting
- Associate Professor Irina Nesterova, Chemistry and Biochemistry, received an NSF grant to develop a platform for instrument-free, easy-to-interpret quantitative analysis of molecular biomarkers.
- BELONG in STEM Scholars, a program that offers scholarships and mentoring for high-achieving, low-income students in pursuit of a STEM degree, received a $2M renewal from the National Science Foundation.