The solutions we develop here will last lifetimes.

Mike Heithaus, Executive Dean of the College of Arts, Sciences & Education

In the College of Arts, Sciences & Education, research spans the natural world, sciences, humanities and education to build a sustainable and inspiring future. Our faculty and students work alongside communities, governments, non-profits and others to inform policy and develop solutions to real world challenges.

Resilience Lives Here.

Our research has guided Everglades restoration, the largest ecosystem restoration project on the planet. We are helping to save endangered species from extinction and protecting the world's biodiversity. 

Bringing reefs back to life

FIU's Coastal Conservation and Restoration Laboratory (CCRL) is advancing the science of coral reef restoration to help protect Florida's only living coral barrier reef. Partnering with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), we are investigating coral health alongside water quality, habitat restoration and coastal resilience. 

Learn more about how FIU is bringing reefs back to life

Decoding a changing planet

With Arctic sea ice shrinking by approximately 12.6% per decade, we are at the forefront of uncovering how a changing planet is transforming ecosystems. From the tundra to the tropics, FIU is providing scientific solutions for natural disasters, wildlife trafficking, species extinction and other man-made impacts. 

Discover how FIU is protecting life on land

Counting the ocean’s sharks

FIU researchers have surveyed more than 400 coral reefs across 58 countries and territories through the Global FinPrint project—the first global survey of reef sharks and rays. Our experts are generating the science that informs international conservation policies and helps protect the future of ocean ecosystems.

Discover how FIU is protecting life below water

Education Leads Here.

South Florida is unlike anywhere else in America. Home to the nation's third-largest school district, our researchers are working alongside nearly 350,000 K-12 students to shape the next generation of leaders.

Strengthening the teacher pipeline 

FIU's techer preperation programs are consistently rated best in the country by the National Council on Teacher Quality. Our School of Education and Human Development is preparing 21st century educators who are adaptive, collaborative and innovative. 

Reinventing how STEM is taught

Founded in response to a national call for 100,000 new STEM teachers, the STEM Transformation Institute advances evidence-based teaching across disciplines. With 19 state-of-the-art active learning classrooms and programs supporting more than 12,500 undergraduate STEM majors at FIU, we're redefining what STEM education.

Advancing treatment for childhood mental health

FIU's Center for Children and Families features one of the largest research teams studying the causes and treatment of mental health and learning challenges in children and adolescents. With more than $93 million in active research, our work is improving outcomes for both kids and their families.

Discovery Starts Here.

Our researchers chase questions at every scale — how mosquitoes find us, how memory shapes criminal investigations, how black holes work. It's why we rank in the top 3% of America's 4,300 research universities.

Stopping disease before the bite

Our experts are working to stop the world's most deadliest animal — the mosquito. Using a mosquito's own behavior, they are making breakthroughs that could lead to a new generation of repellents and could end the scourge of mosquito-borne diseases.

Explore more breakthroughs

Making eyewitness memory reliable

As one of the few universities in the world with a doctoral concentration in legal psychology, FIU researchers are studying how memory works under pressure and developing better identification procedures. That research comes to life at the International Forensic Research Institute, bringing research, education and technology to the forefront of justice.

See where science meets justice 

Observing colliding galaxies

Galaxies don't die just because they collide, according to groundbreaking research from FIU. Using South Florida's only research-grade telescope at the Stocker AstroScience Center, our astronomers investigate everything from nearby solar systems to the most distant galaxies ever observed — connecting Miami to the frontiers of the cosmos.

See the science from South Florida's only research-grade telescope

Ignite What's Next

Your support powers the discoveries that protect our planet, reimagine education, and unlock the unknown.

Support CASE Research

FIU is #1 for Life Below Water, Life on Land (tied) and Clean Water & Sanitation

Times Higher Ed Impact Rankings
No. 1 in the U.S. for Environmental Impact

Ranked No. 1 in the United States for Life Below Water, Life on Land, and Clean Water & Sanitation by the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings — FIU researchers are leading in research, innovation and education for critical issues effecting the planet. 

Learn more about our rankings

FIU is #2 in the US for Psychology & Psychiatry research expenditures

National Science Foundation Rankings
No. 2 in the U.S. for Psychology & Psychiatry research expenditures

FIU Psychology is also Top 50 among U.S. public university programs by QS World University rankings and for Best Online Psychology bachelor's degree by U.S. News & Word Report.

See the programs behind the research

FIU is graded as an A for undergraduate elementary teacher preparation program

National Council on Teacher Quality Rankings
an "a" in the U.S. for undergraduate elementary teacher preparation programs

The National Council on Teacher Quality awarded FIU's undergraduate elementary teacher preparation program an "A" in its national rankings, placing it among the top programs in the country.

Find your path in Teaching and Learning

  • $116.2 M

    FY 24-25 Total Research Expenditures

  • 200+

    Research partnerships

  • 1800+

    Students engaged in active research