Research

The University of Miami's Marine Technology & Life Sciences Seawater Complex will open at the Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science soon. The new complex will provide research and teaching laboratories in two critical areas: air-sea interactions and biology of living marine organisms, including a wind-wave-storm surge simulator capable of generating Category 5 hurricane-force winds in a three-dimensional test environment, a state of the art tool, unique in the World.

The Coral Reef Futures Lab - Rescue a Reef
A major research theme is the complex and dynamic relationship between corals and their algal symbionts (“zooxanthellae” in the genus Symbiodinium), to better understand how corals might adapt to both warming ocean temperatures and increased ocean acidification in the coming decades. The University of Miami (UM) Rosenstiel School's coral conservation program is designed to build community and coastal resilience through coral reef research, restoration, and citizen science.
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Abess Center for Ecosystem Science and Policy
The mission of the Leonard and Jayne Abess Center for Ecosystem Science and Policy is to create innovative, interdisciplinary initiatives that bridge the gap between science and environmental policy. Learn more

Climate Risks and Preparedness
Climate change poses complex risks for people and nature. We study interacting hazards including extreme heat, wildfires, sea level rise, and flooding. Through innovative approaches to integrating evidence, we inform effective and equitable responses to the risks. Learn more

Ocean Acidification Coral Laboratory
The South Florida Corals and Climate Change Laboratory is the first of it’s kind to tackle the global problem of the impact of climate change on corals. Fully operational in 2007, the lab facilitates the study on how corals respond to the combined stress of greenhouse warming and ocean acidification. Learn more

Experimental Fish Hatchery
The Experimental Hatchery includes a number of culture areas which give the facility the capability of concurrently supporting a wide variety of diverse research projects. In addition to extensive support infrastructure, the facility provides the following distinct culture areas. Learn more

Coastal Resilience
Changing climate patterns are impacting communities in coastal regions across the globe due to rising sea levels and increasing temperatures. Architects and urban designers play a central role in developing robust adaptation strategies by addressing climate stressors in their designs. Research, innovation, and community outreach are central and connected aspects of building coastal resiliency. Learn more

The Center for Urban and Community Design is part of the UM School of Architecture and fosters a collaborative interdisciplinary approach that supports the people, places and processes essential for creating and sustaining family oriented and environmentally responsible communities as near as West Coconut Grove and as far as Mexico. The CUCD promotes a collaborative, interdisciplinary approach that supports creation, preservation and retro-fitting of resilient / sustainable communities and buildings by integrating research, teaching and service, encouraging inter-disciplinary thought and action in the areas of resiliency, sustainable design and development, historic preservation and civic engagement. Learn more

Smart Cities - U-School of Architecture and the Center for Computational Science are collaborating on their newest focus area, designed to create services and training involving Smart Cities concepts. A ‘smart’ city is one that uses digital technologies to address and manage Well Being (Healthcare)/Quality of Life/Ageing; Operating Costs (Infrastructure); Resource Allocation and Consumption; Citizen Participation and Governance; Education; Transportation and Development; Information and Communication Technologies Growth and Access; Natural Resources and Climate Change (Energy Governance); Human and Social Capital; Public Safety. Learn more

Research Institutes:

The Miami Institute for Clean Energy 

The Miami Institute for Clean Energy (MInCE), developed based on the research activities and expertise of the College of Engineering faculty, aims to create a cross-disciplinary team of researchers to work on projects involving clean/sustainable energy research and innovation as well as to foster the next generation of energy leaders through educational initiatives and professional development opportunities. Through various research and educational activities, MInCE will foster a vibrant and dynamic research community in the field of Clean Energy and promote collaboration among students, professors, and other researchers within the College of Engineering as well as throughout the University of Miami. Learn more

The Clean Energy Research Institute at the College of Engineering, University of Miami, led by Hongtan Liu, Ph.D., professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering, focuses on issues of clean energy sources. The Clean Energy Research Institute houses the Dorgan Fuel Cell Laboratory. The lab focuses on fuel cell and other clean energy technologies. Learn more

Civil, Architectural and Enviromental Engineering Labs

Institute for Data Science and Computing
The University of Miami Institute for Data Science and Computing (IDSC) harnesses data to advance scientific discovery in the following areas: Atmosphere, Ocean, and Earth Science, Urban Lab and Smart Cities... Learn more

The Future of Flight – College of Engineering
With technology developed at the University of Miami, aerospace engineer Ge Cheng Zha hopes to usher in a new era of urban air transportation. “It is important that we develop green aviation for the future because our highway infrastructure just won’t be able to keep pace with population growth,” Dr. Zha.Learn more

HOPE Public Interest Resource Center
The starting point for law students committed to advocacy and service is the HOPE Public Interest Resource Center. HOPE (Helping Others Through Pro Bono Efforts), founded in 1998, provides individualized guidance to help students identify programs, clinics, projects, courses, and opportunities at the law school and beyond. Learn more

Environmental Justice Clinic
The Environmental Justice Clinic (EJC) advocates for and empowers marginalized communities by combining civil rights, environmental, poverty, and public health law with community lawyering principles. We address practices stemming from systemic inequality and promote policy solutions to achieve structural change. Learn more

Center for Ethics and Public Service
Founded in 1996, the Center for Ethics and Public Service is a law school- housed ethics education, experiential skills training, and community engagement program devoted to the values of ethical judgment, professional responsibility, and public service inlaw and society. The Center’s mission is to educate law students to serve their communities as citizen lawyers. Learn more

Department of Geography and Regional Studies
The Department of Geography and Regional Studies is an innovative global center for geographical and sustainability research. We conduct policy-relevant research to help improve global human well-being by advancing the Sustainable Development Goals that were approved by the United Nations in 2015.
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Geography and Inequalities Lab
Interdisciplinary faculty and students in the Geography and Inequalities Lab (abbreviated as GaIL) are passionate about advancing the understanding of health inequities, seeking and contributing to solutions. Our methodological toolbox is by necessity diverse, combining qualitative stakeholder engagement methods with quantitative outcome-based oriented approaches for developing evidence-based, scientifically sound, context specific and culturally responsive research made spatially explicit through geospatial analysis.
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Urban Studies
Historically, cities have functioned as the cradle of civilization. Modern politics, economies, and cultures, are all shaped in urban environments. In today’s world, the majority of people live in cities and their importance continues to grow. But cities also present us with great challenges such as sustainable growth, governance, and civil relations. Learn more

Built Environment, Behavior, and Health
Dr. Scott Brown, Research Assistant Professor, collaborates with an interdisciplinary team of researchers at the University of Miami Schools of Medicine and Architecture on numerous studies including a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)-funded research investigation of the relationship of built (physical) environment “walkability” characteristics such as land-use mix, greenery, and transit in relation to obesity and related chronic health outcomes and health care costs. Learn more

The world’s most compelling and difficult problems are complex. Addressing the challenges of climate change, for example, requires thinking about weather patterns, relationship of disease and environment/diet, coastal architecture, energy use, city planning, human communication, the role of truth in media, international relations, big data and many other fields. U-LINK seeks applications from interdisciplinary teams that may combine researchers from across UM’s three campuses. Learn more

“We encourage proposals that tackle problems aligning with the University’s strategic plan, such as addressing environmental challenges, engineering smart/connected cities, promoting health and wellness, cultivating a culture of belonging, and applying the potential of big data to global issues.” U Link

Miami Affordability Project (MAP)
Access to housing that is affordable for a wide range of residents is crucial for attracting and retaining a talented workforce and promoting regional economic growth.Simultaneously, Miami is in the grips of ever-increasing sea level rise and related flooding impacts, with the Southeast Florida Regional Climate Change Compact projecting an additional six inches of sea level rise. Learn more

Miami Engagement (School of Education & Human Development)
The course involves a significant service learning placement whereby students work with community agencies on projects that utilize media, history or community psychology skills learned in class as applied to some a specific Miami neighborhood or community organization.Learn more