As the number one public university in Virginia and a top 10 U.S. university for innovation, George Mason is at the forefront of innovation and discovery to meet the toughest challenges and creating opportunities yet to be imagined.
George Mason is the state’s largest public research university, doubling its research expenditures over the last five years, totaling $262 million in 2024.
Holding an R1 designation from the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, George Mason’s research goes beyond the desire to know—it expands our understanding, knowledge, shares data and expertise with communities enabling local response, and builds the infrastructure to improve lab-to-market.
According to multiple EduRank rankings,
George Mason’s research is best in Virginia.
George Mason established three institutes to develop operational efficiencies and cross-discipline collaborations around funding, proposal design, and partnerships to advance nascent innovations and develop new ideas from experiment to enterprise, faster.
Potomac Science Center
The Institute for a Sustainable Earth (ISE) conducts integrative research that bridges disciplinary gaps to realize innovative advances in an era of rapid global change.
Institute for Biohealth Innovation
The Institute for Biohealth Innovation (IBI) pioneers advancements in health care, pushing the boundaries of medical research to enhance human well-being.
Mason Autonomy and Robotics Center (MARC)
The Institute for Digital Innovation (IDIA) is revolutionizing technology and advancing its applications, shaping the future of digital landscapes.
Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence (AI) will be central to the future of knowledge creation, scientific discovery, creative expression, workforce development, and campus operations.
George Mason has named Amarda Sheu as the university’s inaugural vice president and chief artificial intelligence officer (CAIO) to lead the strategy and implementation across research, academics and training, and partnerships, maximizing opportunity and adoption in concert with ethical considerations, governance, and risk mitigation.
George Mason was also the first to offer a School of Computing and a degree in cyber security engineering. Recently, the university opened the multidisciplinary Mason Autonomy and Robotics Center (MARC), which has a 1,649-square-foot, two-story aviary for testing drones and areas for lab experiments, under the guidance of MARC co-director Missy Cummings. This Fall 2024, George Mason created a new Responsible Artificial Intelligence Graduate Certificate program.
The Mason community previews student demonstrations in the Van Metre Hall engineering lab to celebrate Fuse at Mason Square. Photo by Evan Cantwell/George Mason University
National Security and Defense
Growing threats from sophisticated cyberattacks, complex disinformation operations, and efforts to damage the economy—researchers and scientists at George Mason University are regularly engaged with U.S. government agencies to advance next-generation capabilities and readiness to ensure the country’s safety.
Students, faculty, and partners are learning and discovering in colleges, in cutting-edge labs, and in facilities across the region.