Grand Challenges

At UND, the Challenge is Accepted.

The University of North Dakota's culture of creativity, research, and innovation leads us to discover new knowledge and enrich the lives of our local, state, national and global community.

UND is classified as a Carnegie R1: Very High Research Activity university, placing it among the top tier of U.S. research institutions. We are pioneering discoveries in uncrewed flight, harnessing the power of big data and changing the game in energy exploration and environmental sustainability. We’re fighting the nation’s raging opioid epidemic and waging war against deadly cancers and debilitating deep-brain diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer's.

Our Goals

UND's Strategic Vision, UND LEADS, builds on the university's legacy of discovery and impact, guiding our future as a Carnegie R1 research insitution, committed to empowering people to make a difference.

In 2017, UND identified five areas of historical strengths where we are well-positioned to find interdisciplinary solutions to complex problems with substantial social impact. These Grand Challenges, or targeted areas of research, were designed to help grow and diversify the North Dakota economy, and address pressing needs in the state and nation.

The world is constantly changing, as is the research, scholarship, and creative activity at UND. Our Grand Challenges must continue to evolve and grow to meet these needs. We seek new perspectives and expertise for these Grand Challenges so that we can expand the productivity, participation, and impact of our research.

Six Grand Challenges

UND faculty, staff, and student researchers have been collaborating across disciplines and with external partners to find solutions to some of the world's most pressing issues:

energy & environmental

ENERGY & Environmental SUSTAINABILITY

Promote energy security and environmental sustainability.

und students in lab doing research

Human Health

Address health challenges through basic, clinical and translational discovery.

und nursing students with simulator

Rural Health & Communities

Help rural communities solve their unique health and social problems

uas student working on drone

Autonomous Systems

Drive the world-changing developments of autonomous systems.

und big data students working on computer

Computational & Data Science

Effectively, efficiently and ethically produce, manage and securely use information in the age of big data.

space meeting at und

National Security & Space

Invest in a National Security Initiative (NSI) for research, education and workforce training.

UND's Grandest Challenge:

UND researchers across every discipline are united in pursuit of a shared goal. From physics to philosophy, from English to electrical engineering, academic life at the University represents a search for truth and understanding - the grandest challenge of them all.