Students collaborate with faculty, perform independent research in labs and in the field, compete for grant funding, publish papers, present at conferences, compete in regional and national academic challenges, work on community-engaged research projects, and more.
RWU Faculty, staff, and students are deeply engaged with research at the cutting edge of biology and marine science and technology as well as legal and policy issues around marine affairs. Many of these activities are externally sponsored through research grants from government agencies and departments, private foundations, and corporations. The science and policy have impact on local, regional, and national interests in sustainability, economics, and society.
As a cross-cutting research area, sustainability and environmental research is conducted throughout the University in its schools, centers, and Extension School. Faculty and students work on problems across a range of disciplines including architecture, engineering, construction management, business, law, politics, and culture. These efforts continue to grow to meet the important needs of our ecology and environment in the 21st century.
Opportunities for innovation and technology research are becoming increasingly available at RWU. There is an entrepreneurial spirit throughout the University to solve problems using innovative solutions to technical problems, social needs, or educational challenges. Projects include open educational resources, cybersecurity programs, maker spaces, and virtual learning.
At RWU, research in the area of law and justice studies ranges from civil liberties, constitutional law, national security, international trade, indigenous people’s law, interviewing and interrogation, smart policing initiatives, and reducing gun violence through integrated evidence sharing. Undergraduate and graduate students work with Faculty investigators on these projects, several funded externally including the Department of Justice and state and local police agencies.
Faculty, students, and staff across disciplines at RWU are engaged in public humanities and arts projects that make underrepresented stories and groups in our region, our country, and around the globe. These investigations have inclusive narratives that include the spoken, the written, the visual, the theatrical, and the embodied. Projects have ranged from “Hidden Truths: Stories of Race and Place Lecture Series” to “Providence Truth and Reconciliation Process” to “Rhode Island Slave History Medallion Project Research.”
Roger Williams University is committed to an environment in which research and creativity are integrally related to quality teaching at all levels. The University provides significant resources and administrative support to create active research programs.
The HSRB at Roger Williams University (RWU) protects individuals who participate in research conducted at the university or as sponsored by a member of the RWU community. We also offer resources and consultation to students, staff, and faculty conducting research with human participants.
HSRB InformationThe Office of Institutional Advancement and the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs work with faculty and staff to secure external foundation and government grants.
Grant Resource CenterRWU provides extensive guidance for undergraduate students seeking a range of prestigious fellowships. Fellowships are awards offered by organizations outside of RWU. Many provide significant financial support as well as invaluable opportunities to enhance your research, academic goals, and career plans.
Undergraduate Fellowships
Rising senior Branalysa Varela earned third place at the 2025 World Aquaculture Society Conference, an international event focused on advancing technology and knowledge to meet the global demand for aquaculture development.
At the Student Academic Showcase and Honors, undergraduate and graduate students across all schools shared original research, capstone work, and creative projects with the RWU community.
CEED is strengthening Rhode Island’s coastal communities by fueling sustainable growth of the blue economy.
From attending a criminal identification conference to co-founding an academic-based club, Hannah Leonard '24 paved her own path to become an Evidence Technician at the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office in Arizona.
Nearly a dozen RWU students showcased their undergraduate research and earned recognition at the American Chemical Society’s Spring Meeting & Expo, using hands-on learning to develop valuable skills and experience.
