Northwestern Research

10/13/2026

Northwestern is celebrating 175 years by investing in what comes next: new ideas, creative work, community partnerships and opportunities for students.

The new Northwestern Nexus Lab Awards will provide selected interdisciplinary teams with $250,000 each for 12–18 months to develop ambitious research programs and compete for major external funding.

The University is also launching the Center for Community-Engaged Research, expanding faculty grant support across the humanities, social sciences and arts, and funding a study to strengthen research in the visual and performing arts.

Additional investment in undergraduate research aims to help 50% more students participate in formal research opportunities.

Together, these investments celebrate the breadth of Northwestern discovery—and the faculty, staff, students and community partners who make it possible.

Learn more: https://tinyurl.com/9ejx2fd9

The recently updated Office for Research at Northwestern University will award multiple competitive seed grants to interdisciplinary research teams, establish a center for community-engaged research, fund a study on research in the visual and performing arts, and increase undergraduate research fund...

10/13/2026

A new clue to dementia may lie in the water surrounding proteins in the brain.

Northwestern researchers, working with colleagues at UC Santa Barbara, discovered how water helps tau proteins connect and form the harmful clumps associated with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.

The team identified a tiny “hotspot” where the proteins meet. In laboratory experiments, blocking that spot with a chemical tag stopped the protein fibers from growing.

Led by Northwestern chemist Songi Han, the research could help scientists develop ways to interrupt this process—a promising direction for future treatment research.

Small molecular details. Important possibilities for understanding disease. Learn more: https://news.northwestern.edu/.../the-shape-of-water...

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10/08/2026

What happens when AI meets the physical world?

At Northwestern’s Manufacturing Day on Oct. 2, academic, industry and government leaders explored how embodied AI—artificial intelligence integrated with machines, materials and robotics—could transform manufacturing, health care and supply chains.

Hosted by the Northwestern Initiative for Manufacturing Science and Innovation, the event brought together researchers, entrepreneurs and leaders from companies including 3M, Applied Materials and AMD. Panels and laboratory tours showcased Northwestern’s strengths in manufacturing, robotics, materials science and bioelectronics.

A central theme: advancing technology requires strong partnerships. Discussions examined how to move discoveries from the laboratory to the marketplace, help smaller manufacturers adopt new tools and prepare students for careers that connect technical expertise with business and collaboration.

Read more: https://research.northwestern.edu/news-impact/news/manufacturing-day-spotlights-embodied-ai.html

09/22/2026

Northwestern Engineering’s Mark Hersam has been selected to receive the American Chemical Society Award in Surface Chemistry, which honors distinguished contributions to the field. His research on nanomaterials, including graphene and carbon nanotubes, has helped scientists better understand and control materials at the smallest scales to advance a wide range of technologies.

http://spr.ly/6186BGzKNC

09/01/2026

Could scientists be closing in on one of the universe’s greatest mysteries?

An international collaboration, including Northwestern University physicist Eric Dahl, has found the most compelling hint of elusive dark matter to date.

Nearly a mile underground in South Dakota, the LUX-ZEPLIN experiment recorded a single particle interaction that researchers cannot explain through known sources. After extensive analysis, the team estimates there is just a 0.5% chance that the unusual signal came from an ordinary phenomenon.

The scientists are not claiming a discovery. Not yet. But Dahl, who has searched for dark matter for two decades, calls it “the most interesting single event” he has seen during that time.

Dark matter is invisible, yet it makes up roughly 85% of all matter in the universe. Understanding what it is could transform our knowledge of the cosmos and reveal new physics beyond the Standard Model.

The detector has collected only one-quarter of its planned data, so the search—and the careful work of testing this result—continues.

Learn more about the signal and Northwestern’s role in the international collaboration:

https://news.northwestern.edu/stories/2026/09/dark-matter-detector-picks-up-a-mysterious-signal

Dark matter experiment detected a single particle event that known background sources struggle to explain.

08/31/2026

The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded Northwestern University $30 million over five years to establish a new multi-institutional Science and Technology Center—the Center for Genome Intelligence Engineering (GENIE).

GENIE will uncover a hidden layer of information in the human genome by bringing together experts in physics, biology, engineering, AI, and medicine—with the goal of ultimately manipulating the genome’s 3D architecture to improve human health. The work could pave the way for helping cells withstand injury, restore lost function, and regenerate tissues without changing underlying DNA.

As Northwestern President Mung Chiang said:
“Winning a hyper-competitive NSF STC is a tremendous accomplishment for our Northwestern community. GENIE will open a new frontier in understanding the genome and engineering cellular memory. By leading this partnership, the Northwestern team will advance transformational discovery, educate the next generation of researchers and lay the foundation for innovations that improve lives and strengthen the country’s leadership in science and technology.”

Read more: https://news.northwestern.edu/stories/2026/08-2/northwestern-to-launch-30-million-center-to-unlock-genomes-hidden-code

The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded Northwestern University $30 million over five years to establish a new center aimed at uncovering a hidden layer of information within the human genome.

08/17/2026

Selected from 27 proposals, the latest awards span therapeutics, devices and diagnostics, and health IT and data sciences. The Northwestern projects address challenges in cancer, neurodegenerative disease, maternal-fetal health, mental health, Duchenne muscular dystrophy and precision neuromodulation. Funding will help teams pursue next-stage milestones, including prototype and app development, feasibility testing, biomarker validation, preparation for regulatory studies, and the generation of evidence needed to attract additional funding and partners. https://tinyurl.com/ycphwtk3.

07/31/2026

Deep-science challenges demand collaboration across disciplines and institutions. Northwestern researchers are proud to partner with Argonne, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory and the University of Illinois Chicago on CMOS+X, using AI to accelerate the design of ultra-cold electronics for advanced sensors and quantum technologies. An exciting contribution to the U.S. Department of Energy’s . Argonne National Laboratory

07/22/2026

Innovation happens through partnership. Northwestern University is excited to join the Genesis Mission Awardee cohort and collaborate with fellow awardees advancing breakthrough research. Our inaugural projects will use AI and advanced computing to accelerate materials discovery, fusion energy, sustainable manufacturing and next-generation microelectronics. Learn more: https://tinyurl.com/a5npv5tb

07/06/2026

Northwestern Medicine scientists have demonstrated that a highly sensitive blood test can detect traces of pancreatic cancer missed by standard testing, potentially helping physicians identify patients whose disease is more likely to return even when scans appear reassuring.

The sensitive blood test focuses on KRAS, a genetic mutation that drives more than 90% of pancreatic cancers. The findings come as a new revolutionary drug targeting KRAS is showing substantial survival benefits and nearing FDA review.

Northwestern Medicine scientists have demonstrated that a highly sensitive blood test can detect traces of pancreatic cancer missed by standard testing, potentially helping physicians identify patients whose disease is more likely to return even when scans appear reassuring.