Academics & Research in DC
As a major research institution, the George Washington University has long valued its one-of-a-kind academic, research and career opportunities for our students and faculty alike. GW is a global, comprehensive research institution and a member of the Association of American Universities (AAU). From our location in the heart of the nation’s capital, GW faculty and their students carry out cutting-edge research and scholarship in diverse fields. In fact, with campus located just four blocks from the White House and short distances from several major government and non-government agencies, most of these opportunities are literally a short walk away. We partner with community-based organizations, city leaders, industry and our academic peers to investigate some of the world’s most complex challenges, including climate change, infectious diseases, education and health equity, trustworthy AI, gender-based violence, disinformation, cancer, financial literacy and more.
GW's annual research expenditures bolster the university’s commitment to creating world-changing discoveries on everything from AIDS research to the security of nuclear technology. GW’s state-of-the-art Science and Engineering Hall (SEH) is ushering in a new era of discovery on everything from large aerospace structures to the next generation of nanotechnology, as well as convening scientists from all over the world to share knowledge and drive the future.
In August 2022, the university launched the refreshed GW Research Magazine and website, reflecting on the GW’s commitment to its growing research enterprise. The website and magazine highlight the impact of GW’s diverse research portfolio with features on the relationship between air pollution and health equity, the fight against climate change in the Arctic and the legacy of racial discrimination in America’s homeownership gap. The primary research website includes at-your-fingertips stats and an animated D.C. metro area map showcasing the rich research environment in which the university operates that provide renewed avenues to highlight the breadth, depth and impact of GW’s research enterprise.
Below you can explore some of our research project and partnerships within the District.
- GW and the Smithsonian Institute
GW and the Smithsonian Institution have long partnered to advance knowledge, education and cultural enrichment. Not only do GW students have access to a wide range of internships within the Smithsonian complex, we collaborate together on joint research projects such as the Slave Wrecks Project and an exhibit on the natural history of the cell phone.
- GW Innovation Hub
GW's Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship leads the university's innovation and entrepreneurial training programs for faculty, students and entrepreneurs. GW is partnering with the D.C. government, Open Avenues Foundation and the Golden Triangle Business Innovation District to bring international entrepreneurs and startups to Washington, DC through the Global Soft Landing Initiative, which will provide micro-internships for GW students.
Additionally, as a partner institution in a $15M NSF I-Corps Hub serving the mid-Atlantic region, GW trains researchers and technologists on entrepreneurial principles and practices and gives them hands-on experience to explore the potential, real-world applications of their research and technologies.
- Brain-based Research Experiences for DMV Students
Dr. Jonathon Grooms and the GWTeach team have been awarded a new grant in collaboration with Children’s National Hospital (CNH). The National Institutes of Health (NIH) funded project - Mentored Experiences to Expand Opportunities for Research version 3.0 (METEORv3) - builds on previous collaborative work by Dr. Curtis Pyke and Dr. Grooms, along with colleagues from the Clinical and Translational Science Institute at Children’s National (CTSI-CN).
The current project will support DMV high school students and GWTeach undergraduates to participate in authentic summer research experiences in neuroscience-focused research labs at Children’s National. GWTeach Master Teachers, Dr. Meghan Hollibaugh Baker and SuJin Choi, will support the pre-service teachers to translate their research experiences into classroom lessons through fieldwork opportunities in the GWTeach program. The project will also explore how authentic research experiences influence pre-service teachers’ understanding of science and math practices and how those practices can help shape classroom instruction.
The project PIs from CNH are Naomi Luban, MD, Director of Research Education and Career Development at CTSI-CN, and Tarik Haydar, PhD, Director of the Center for Neuroscience Research at Children’s National Research Institute.
- GW Researchers Selected for Study to Evaluate Bringing Integrated Health Services to People Suffering from Opioid Use.
A team of researchers from the George Washington University (GW) has been selected as one of five sites participating in the HIV Prevention Trials Network (HPTN) INTEGRA study (HPTN 094). The study, sponsored by the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases with funding from the U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse, both part of the National Institutes of Health, will determine whether using mobile health units to deliver integrated health services can improve HIV and substance use outcomes among people with opioid use disorder who inject drugs.
Leading the GW research team is principal investigator Irene Kuo, PhD, MPH, associate research professor of epidemiology in the Milken Institute School of Public Health at GW, and co-investigator Marc Siegel, MD, associate professor of medicine at GW’s School of Medicine and Health Sciences, and leader of the NIH-funded GW HPTN Clinical Research Site, which operates under the recently-funded NIH-funded District of Columbia Clinical Trials Unit.
“The study focuses on offering integrated care for substance use, HIV care or prevention, and treatment for sexually transmitted infections, as well as referrals for care of viral hepatitis, especially hepatitis C,” explained Kuo. At the end of a 26-week period, Kuo added, researchers hope to see increased uptake of substance abuse treatment and medication for HIV prevention and care among study volunteers.
The study will determine whether a one-stop-shopping provision of integrated care will result in better outcomes versus a standard model of care.
Reade more about the integrated health services research project on the SMHS website.