Research
Internationally recognized for outstanding research in the life, environmental, computational, and physical sciences.
About
Faculty and students in the College of Natural Sciences (CNS) are internationally recognized for their outstanding research in the life, environmental, computational, and physical sciences.
CNS faculty are routinely listed among the world’s leading scientific minds in Thomson Reuters surveys. In Massachusetts, UMass Amherst ranks third in funding received from the National Science Foundation, after Harvard and MIT. On campus, CNS is the largest recipient of grant funding, and CNS faculty are campus leaders in the Institute for Applied Life Sciences, a $150 million interdisciplinary and entrepreneurial research center focused on developing new products to benefit health and medicine. Postdoctoral researchers and graduate and undergraduate students actively engage with faculty and contribute to a wide range of relevant and interdisciplinary research.
Undergraduate research
Community stories
In the spotlight
“The soil is alive. It is teeming with billions of microbes.”
Research centers, institutes, and groups
Amherst Center for Fundamental Interactions
Advances research in theoretical and experimental physics at the interface of the energy, intensity, and cosmic frontiers.
Center for Agriculture, Food, and the Environment
Connecting individuals, industries, and government agencies with scientists and educators, and providing access to all agricultural expertise on campus.
Center for Applied Mathematics and Mathematical Computation
Engages faculty and students in research and instruction in applied mathematics and scientific computation.
Center for Neuroendocrine Studies
Conducts research on the relationships among hormones, the brain, physiology, and behavior.
Center for Research on Families
Supports natural, social, and behavioral sciences research on issues relevant to families.
Climate System Research Center
Performs research relating to global climate change.
Cooperative for Marine Education and Research (CMER)
Fosters collaboration in marine research among the Northeast Marine Fisheries Science Center at Woods Hole, UMass faculty, and students.
Energy Transition Institute (ETI)
Transitioning rapidly away from fossil fuels presents a massive opportunity to design and choose equitable pathways to a net-zero energy system.
Experimental Farms
Covers the broad agricultural commodities found in Massachusetts and New England, with farms totaling over 620 acres.
Family Forest Research Center (FFRC)
Conducts research that helps understand the social and economic dimensions of family forestry to promote sustainable forest management.
Fergus M. Clydesdale Center for Foods for Health and Wellness
Brings together scientists, educators, government agencies, and industry to identify solutions to food-related health issues.
Forest Properties
Responsible for the stewardship of five forest properties totaling over 2,000 acres.
Harvard Forest
Researches the impact of natural and human-caused disturbances on forests—an NSF Long Term Ecological Research site.
Human Dimensions Research Unit
Studies social and policy aspects of natural resource issues.
Institute for Applied Life Sciences (IALS)
Provides interdisciplinary, entrepreneurial, and collaborative research through its three life sciences centers.
Institute for Cellular Engineering
Oversees educational and scholarly activities and translational research through strategic industry partnerships.
Institute of Diversity Sciences
Invests in multidisciplinary STEM research for social justice.
Large Millimeter Telescope (LMT)
Enables scientific advances in many areas of astronomy using the world’s largest single dish telescope operating at millimeter wavelengths.
Mass NanoTech Institute
Conducts research through a campuswide initiative for nanoscale science and engineering.
Massachusetts Agricultural Experiment Station
Administers and distributes federal experiment station funds.
Massachusetts Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit
Researches wildlife ecology and management in suburban areas, and develops quantitative approaches for solving natural resource issues.
MassNanoTech
Researches nanoscale materials, devices, and systems, advances commercialization and industry partnerships, and fosters education and outreach.
New England Research Institute for Moose and Forest Dynamics
Focuses on the ecology and dynamics of moose and forest interactions, especially in Central and Western Massachusetts.
Northeast Center for Urban and Community Forestry
Provides a regional voice for urban forestry initiatives in the Northeast.
Northeast Climate Science Center
A consortium of seven institutions across the Northeast Region, each contributing significant and unique expertise to the region’s climate challenge.
Pioneer Valley Life Sciences Institute (PVLSI)
Connects interdisciplinary biomedical research teams of life and physical scientists, engineers, and physicians.
Silvio O. Conte Anadromous Fish Laboratory
Focuses on the ecology, physiology, and behavior of Atlantic salmon and other anadromous fish species.
UMass Extension
The Massachusetts partner in the national Cooperative Extension System, addressing public concerns of high priority for the commonwealth.
USDA Forest Service - Ozone Biomonitoring Program
Conducts research and monitoring on the impacts of ozone on forest plants throughout the Northeast.
Water Resource Center
Supports interdisciplinary research, education, and outreach efforts on water resources issues of state, regional, and national importance.