Research

Research with Impact

Faculty and students in all four divisions of the College of Arts & Sciences -- arts, humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences – pursue research to address to many of our world’s most pressing challenges. Their discoveries and innovative solutions have led to advances in areas from population health to quantum science to social justice and have pushed the boundaries of artistic creation.

Research Initiatives

Arts & Sciences researchers play key roles on ambitious projects that explore unresolved questions in particle physics, the origins of the universe, climate change, and more.

W sign at entrance to campus

Awards & Honors

Faculty in Arts & Sciences have received Nobel Prizes, MacArthur Fellowships, Sloan and PECASE awards, and many other top honors.

Photo of Anna Sulc holding a penguin.

Students & Research

Students work closely with faculty researchers, advancing the research in meaningful ways and gaining skills they can apply to the real world.

Illustration of a laptop on a table, with an angelic halo above it.

Spotlight on Research

Can machines learn morality?

UW researchers at the Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences and in the Allen School are exploring the potential for training AI to value altruism.

Read More about Spotlight on Research

Research Highlights

  • Shen Yi seated with audiology equipment to test hearing in the background.

    An earful of AI

    Hearing aid technology is improving all the time with the help of AI, thanks to researchers like Shen Yi, professor of speech & hearing sciences.

  • Portrait photo of Christopher Adolph, standing outside with foliage in the background.

    Adolph Ranked #1 Among Political Scientists for Impact

    In a global ranking of research productivity of political scientists, UW Professor Christopher Adolph was ranked first globally for recent impact, thanks to his team's research on COVID-19 policies.

  • Ashleigh Therberge and research team members looking at equipment in her UW chemistry lab.

    How Chemistry is Transforming Clinical Research

    Ashleigh Theberge's UW lab creates bioanalytical chemistry tools. Some are transforming how clinical studies can be conducted. 

A&S Research in the News

computer keyboard

A recap of Webb telescope discoveries

Emily Levesque, an associate professor of astronomy at the UW who specializes in massive stars and supernovas, joined host Leah Pezzetti on The Sky Above to discuss the biggest and best discoveries to come from the James Webb Space Telescope this past year.

Drumheller Fountain

Northwest scientists develop a dark matter detector to study one of the biggest mysteries of the universe

The universe is full of mysteries that scientists have not yet been able to solve. And a big one has to do with what the universe is actually made of. Now physicists from the UW are taking a big swing at answering that question. Alvaro Chavarria, associate professor of physics at the UW, is quoted.

UW Seattle Campus Quad during spring

Game changer: System to track small animals from space takes flight again

A space-based wildlife tracking system that could revolutionize the study of animal migrations and behavior is set to get back online with SpaceX's recent launch. Briana Abrahms, assistant professor of biology at the UW, is quoted.

Arts & Sciences Research Support Team

Xiaosong Li, associate dean for research, is responsible for the strategy, operations, and implementation of the College’s research program. Li, the Larry R. Dalton Endowed Chair in Chemistry, was previously associate vice provost for research cyberinfrastructure in the UW Office of Research.

Centers and Institutes

The College of Arts & Sciences is home to more than 30 interdisciplinary centers and has ties to many others, allowing scholars in diverse fields to collaborate on complex research questions.