At Tulane, big ideas—and big, innovative research—don’t live in silos. Here, ground-breaking work happens everywhere. Like at our School of Liberal Arts, which crossed oceans to find some of our earliest roots (#Tulane professor among researchers involved in discovery of new species of human relative in South Africa). Or at our Taylor Center, which is leading an interdisciplinary $1 million challenge to reduce “dead zones” caused when agricultural nutrients taint waterways. (Have ideas on reducing the amount of nitrogen entering waterways? Enter @tuNitroReduc's $1 million challenge)
That’s part of what makes our research so meaningful: We’re at our best when we cross boundaries to make new discoveries. To make connections between law and business, sociology and public health, medicine and engineering, that simply wouldn’t happen by working alone in a lab.
Finding ways for researchers across our 10 schools and colleges to connect is a priority for the Office of Research. Fostering those connections is a big reason why our researchers attract more than $160 million in grants every year. Much of that work is of direct importance to Louisiana and New Orleans: we’ve redoubled our efforts to focus our work in biomedical science and engineering, neuroscience, energy, coastal protection and the musical cultures of the Gulf region.
Often, that work winds up fueling growth off campus. New Orleans is an entrepreneur’s paradise. Countless faculty and alumni have started companies here, in ecology and economics, biotech and e-commerce. (The university itself has helped launch 11 companies since 2008 that are based off technology that has roots in our labs.)
Research isn’t just the province of graduate students, though, or cloistered faculty: Undergraduate research is an important part of the Tulane experience, and grants are available to help students cover the cost of research materials, travel and other expenses.
