The Samuel Ginn College of Engineering is among the nation's top academic institutions for research expenditures. Our faculty and staff are committed to the discovery of new engineering technologies, concepts and processes and the hardware necessary to realize them. We welcome the opportunity to collaborate with government agencies, businesses and foundations to identify research needs, expand established technologies and develop new ones, and transfer knowledge and technology to industry.

Advanced Manufacturing and Materials

Additive manufacturing, or 3D printing, is redefining all aspects of our lives. Although additive manufacturing has been around for decades, technological advancements have led to new interest in this technology throughout the industry. Through a process involving fabricating components by joining materials such as plastics or metals layer-by-layer from a sliced 3-D computer-aided design model, Auburn engineers are examining how manufacturers can 3-D print complex components on site, thus reducing the supply chain, eliminating waste and maximizing profits.

At Auburn, research in this arena is supported by high-profile funding agencies including the Department of Defense, the United States Army, the National Institute of Standards and Technology and others as faculty strive toward solutions that can improve manufacturing in the present and in the future.

 

The Center for Advanced Manufacturing Systems

Through the Interdisciplinary Center for Advanced Manufacturing Systems (ICAMS), Auburn is aiding small- and medium-sized manufacturers looking to remain competitive in the Industry 4.0 age. Through awards from the Department of Defense’s Office of Industrial Policy’s Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment Program, ICAMS is leveraging its research and outreach efforts promoting advanced manufacturing in small and medium manufacturing operations in the defense industrial base.


National Center for Additive Manufacturing Excellence

NCAME strives to be a transitioning mechanism from fundamental to applied research aligned with the need of industry. NCAME directs and conducts research in several additive manufacturing (AM) thrust areas of immediate importance to industry and standardization communities, including AM: design, new materials development, process monitoring, post-processing, microstructural characterizations, material properties, fatigue, fracture mechanics, failure analysis, qualification/certification, NDE, and more.


Infrastructure and Transportation

Our nation's transportation system is among the finest in the world. However, with challenges that include age, higher energy costs, increased congestion and reduced funding, there is much work to be done. Auburn Engineering is addressing these issues and defining the future of transportation through research, validation and technology transfer.

Goals include highways that are durable, cost-effective and safe; vehicles with improved performance, fuel efficiency, energy options and safety; and transportation systems that are more efficient. State-of-the-art facilities, including the Advanced Structural Engineering Laboratory, offer researchers the opportunity to bring real-world infrastructure and transportation solutions from experiment to practice.

 

Related Centers

Auburn University Transportation Research Institute

Established in 2021, the Auburn University Transportation Research Institute provides a unified presence and strategic direction for promoting the renowned transportation-related research conducted within the academic departments and research centers in the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering.

Thanks to the reputation of the units under the Institute’s umbrella — the National Center for Asphalt Technology (NCAT) and its affiliated asphalt test track, the Highway Research Center (HRC), the Alabama Transportation Assistance Program (ATAP) and the GPS and Vehicle Dynamics Laboratory (GAVLAB) — extramural funding for transportation is greater than any other single topic within Auburn University’s research footprint.

Cybersecurity and Intelligent Systems

Auburn University and the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering are taking the lead as an institution on the forefront of cybersecurity research and professional preparedness in the industry. The efforts to safeguard against threats that are man-made or acts of nature are growing in urgency. Auburn Engineering researchers are working to develop technologies that enhance the security of people, property and information. This includes research in unmanned systems, missiles and satellites; hardened concrete and projectile proof materials; as well as unique expertise in modeling and simulation and power generating systems.

 

Related Centers

AI@AU

The AI@AU Initiative will build a university-wide computational infrastructure for AI research and education; enhance the university-wide faculty infrastructure for AI research and education; assemble a university-wide multi-disciplinary faculty team to expand AI research and education; and explore university-wide educational innovations in AI.


McCrary Institute for Cyber and Critical Infrastructure Security

The McCrary Institute combines the knowledge of recognized policy authorities and renowned faculty researchers to develop solutions to real-world security problems and educate the security experts of the future. We strengthen security by defending and attacking through an interdisciplinary approach that merges strategic policy making with advanced research, education and sophisticated technological expertise to create forward-looking, practical solutions.


Auburn Cyber Research Center

The Auburn Cyber Research Center integrates cutting-edge engineering technology with research to develop innovative methods of protecting our nation's cybersecurity. Our vision is to excel in cyber research, development, education, and practice by engaging with industry, government, and communities to educate a superior cyber workforce, disseminate solutions to cybersecurity problems, and support state and regional economic development.

Energy and Environment

Protecting and improving our environment is critical for the next generation. Auburn is engineering new ways to utilize the waste stream from pulp and paper plants for biofuels, produce food more efficiently, improve gasification and gas-to-liquids technologies, and remove mercury, radioactive elements, oil and other contaminants from the environment.

In addition, we are developing longer lasting electronics to control and improve efficiency of a wide variety of critical systems. Auburn Engineering research in these areas is supported by the National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy, the United States Department of Agriculture and others.

 

Related Centers

Gulf Coast Engineering Research Station

The gulf research station will focus on three broad coastal research areas: water quality and quantity protection and restoration; protection, restoration and conservation of habitat and living resources; and enhancing coastal community sustainability and resilience. Through the creation of this facility, Auburn University and its partners will engage in fundamental and applied research of critical importance to the coastal environment and communities of Alabama and the larger northern Gulf Coast region.


Center for Bioenergy and Bioproducts

The Bioenergy and Bioproducts Center was established to help bring both natural and human resources to bear on bioenergy and bioproduct opportunities in our state and region. Auburn's location at the center of a region rich in renewable forest and agricultural biomass resources, and its status as the state's largest land-grant and comprehensive research university make it ideally suited to address these issues. The AU Bioenergy and Bioproducts Center is a catalyst for the development of bioenergy and bioproduct ideas, which, ultimately, will enhance Alabama's economy and the quality of life for all citizens of the state.


Stormwater Research Facility

Stormwater Research Facility at Auburn University is dedicated to producing innovative and practical solutions for stormwater management. Through interdisciplinary research, product evaluation, and hands-on training, the facility remains on the forefront of stormwater research. The Stormwater Research Facility at Auburn University is a 10-acre outdoor research facility dedicated to conducting full-scale evaluations to improve practices and products used to manage stormwater runoff. In addition to research, the facility engages in product testing and development, and delivers hands-on training events for professionals in the stormwater industry.

News

Biomedical and Health Systems

Auburn engineers are developing unique technologies for more efficient and cost-effective health care. Biomedical and health-care technology research is being performed in multiple departments, and includes improvement in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technologies, use of contact lenses for timed release delivery of medications, improvements in treatment regimens for heart failure and cutting-edge filters for emergency responders and buildings. Research on ways to improve the diagnosis and prognosis of breast cancer and heart failure patients is also ongoing.

 

Related Centers

Thomas Walter MRI Research Center

The Walter MRI Center aims to leverage Auburn University's existing expertise in engineering, sciences, and veterinary medicine to improve healthcare through advanced magnetic resonance imaging. From cardiovascular research, brain imaging and musculoskeletal imaging, the Center is home to both 3T and 7T MRI units and works closely with regional medical providers to offer state-of-the-art medical imaging research.


Occupational Safety, Ergonomics and Injury Prevention Center

The Center for Occupational Safety, Ergonomics and Injury Prevention is home to two interdisciplinary training programs: the Occupational Safety and Ergonomics (OSE) program and the Occupational Injury Prevention (OIP). The programs are part of the Deep South Center for Occupational Health and Safety, a collaboration with the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). The grants supporting the programs bring approximately $2 million to Auburn.