Global research

Notre Dame researchers prioritize partnership and seek to learn from before they seek to act. Connection drives understanding, and understanding yields solutions to today's most pressing global challenges.

A young man wearing a blue polo shirt and tan pants kneels in a grassy field, writing on a yellow notepad. He wears a black backpack and works in front of a tall white wind turbine and a row of green trees under a bright blue sky. A bearded man wearing sunglasses and a backpack looks over his shoulder outdoors, with three large digging tools or pickaxes attached to his pack. Hands of two researchers outdoors in a wooded area. One person holds a small plastic bottle as the other uses a glass pipette to transfer liquid into it. The background features bright green foliage and sunlight.

Global research

A bog’s life

As Ireland contemplates its energy future, a Notre Dame student works to restore its ecological past.

A woman with long dark hair, wearing a white sweater and jeans, kneels on a wooden plank in a grassy bog, tending to a scientific instrument.

Global research

Empowering through education

A pathway out of poverty for children in India.

A brown-skinned teacher in a sari smiles warmly while facing a classroom of young girls in India. The girls, seen from behind, wear maroon and white uniforms and have their dark hair styled in buns. A chalkboard hangs on the wall behind the teacher.
  1. Four smiling young people sit on rocks. One wears a green

    News

    Nepal study abroad program leads to research opportunity with real-world impact

    Last year marked the first year of the Nepal Summer: Sustainability and Energy Systems summer study abroad program. Like all study abroad programs, the program was intentionally designed to combine coursework with cultural immersion, appealing especially to engineering students but open to students from all disciplines and grade levels. Led...

  2. Five women in a dense forest gather large green leaves. One wears a pink jacket and multi-colored headscarf, another an olive jacket, a third a beige sweater. Two women in red headscarves wear a pink patterned sweater and an orange jacket, respectively. They are smiling and working.

    News

    Nepal’s green success story has a hidden social gap, Notre Dame research shows

    Women in Nepal harvest sal leaves from a forest to make biodegradable cups and plates, part of an eco-friendly enterprise that provides a livelihood and lessens the use of plastics. Image source: Usha Thakuri, ForestAction Nepal In recent years, Nepal has been heralded as a global leader in community-based forest...

  3. A woman with blond/brown hair in a gray suit, Olena Zelenska, speaks at a podium. Framed on either side are the flags of the United States and Ukraine. Behind her directly is a banner for the Global Coalition of Ukrainian Studies.

    News

    University of Notre Dame joins the Global Coalition of Ukrainian Studies

    The University of Notre Dame has joined the Global Coalition of Ukrainian Studies after signing a memorandum of cooperation, formalized Sept. 24, at the Ukrainian Institute of America in New York City. Notre Dame joined four other American institutions that were also publicly welcomed to the coalition at this event:...

  4. Aerial view of a river and arid land—complex terrain for a forest map. A large fire burns at the right, showing how remote sensing captures the loss of forests and carbon sequestration critical to fighting climate change.

    News

    New study reveals major gaps in global forest maps

    A Copernicus Sentinel-2B satellite map of South Sudan shows the tropical forests, swamps and grassland that comprise the majority of the country's terrain. Photo by the European Space Agency licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. For decades, global efforts to combat climate change and protect biodiversity have relied on a high-tech...

  5. Four men work outdoors on a solar energy project. A man in a green 'CLIMATE PROMISE' shirt stands with his back to the camera. Another in a neon vest smiles, holding a solar panel. A third in a green jersey looks on, and a fourth, wearing orange gloves, stands on a barrel working on a pole.

    News

    New research details fundamental shift in global climate finance

    Installing solar-powered street lighting in Senegal. Photo by UNDP Senegal. Creative Commons License 4.0. Multilateral climate funding is undergoing a major structural shift, according to new research by the University of Notre Dame. Instead of directly financing climate projects, international organizations are using public money to reduce investment risks for...

  6. Smiling dark-skinned woman in a yellow top, red patterned skirt, and yellow headwrap holds a baby under a tree. The baby, in a white hat, sucks its finger. A crowd in colorful attire gathers in the sunny background near a white building.

    News

    Clean water access improves child health in Mozambique, study shows

    In 2022, 37 percent of children under five in Mozambique suffered from stunted growth. Notre Dame researchers found that improving access to safe drinking water can reduce the odds of stunting by 20 percent. Photo credit: USAID Mozambique via Creative Commons. In Mozambique, more than one in three children under...

  8. A crane lifts a plywood wall section at a construction site. A worker in an orange safety vest is visible. Lumber is stacked nearby, and a dark van and red pickup truck are parked on the gravel driveway. A blue metal-sided building is partially visible in the foreground, and a forested hillside is in the background.

    News

    Notre Dame professor’s research on housing resilience finds an audience in Alaska

    A new home under construction in Valdez, Alaska outside a the regulation area where construction is reviewed and inspected for compliance with building codes. Keough School political scientist Susan Ostermann recently presented new research in Anchorage, Alaska showing how building regulations shape the safety and design of homes. Developed with...

  10. A bald, dark-skinned man with a beard and blue glasses, wearing a white quarter-zip with navy collar stripes, speaks with an engaged expression. A woman in a maroon sweater uses a laptop in the blurred background.

    Video

    ND :30 - Ellis Adjei Adams

    Adams’ work examines the social, political, institutional, and governance dimensions of environmental and natural resources, particularly water.

  11. A group of people are standing in muddy water, with one woman in the foreground washing clothes in a plastic basin.

    Article

    Fighting infectious disease at its source

    Eradicating schistosomiasis is a complex problem that requires a complex solution

  12. Two baby baboons sit on a dirt road, looking out at a grassy field.

    Article

    Fighting to understand the scientific impact of community

    By studying the Amboseli baboons of Kenya, Notre Dame biologist Beth Archie explores how social relationships directly impact health, fertility, and lifespan. This decades long primates study provides vital clues into why strong community ties lead to longer, healthier lives for humans.

  13. A small child with a concerned expression peeks out from behind a bright blue food stand.

    Article

    Fighting mosquito-borne diseases

    A new partnership between Notre Dame and the Mayo Clinic is working in Belize to track and stop the Zika virus in real time. By combing medical entomology with clinical expertise, researchers are improving local diagnostic speeds and identifying disease hotspots to protect communities.

  14. A graphic depicts the U.S. and Chinese flags enmeshed and merging in the middle where they overlap, representing U.S.-China relations.

    News

    US states shape foreign policy amid national China unease, research shows

    State-level officials such as governors, state legislators and attorneys general are shaping U.S.-China relations as the two countries navigate a strained geopolitical relationship, according to new research by political scientist Kyle Jaros. “The state level has independent importance in the U.S.-China relationship — it’s not just a reflection of what’s...

  15. Krupali Krusche, associate professor in Notre Dame's School of Architecture

    News

    School of Architecture’s Krusche wins prestigious Rome Prize

    Krupali Krusche (photo by Barbara Johnston/University of Notre Dame) The American Academy in Rome has awarded Krupali Krusche, an associate professor in the University of Notre Dame’s School of Architecture, the 2024 Adele Chatfield-Taylor Rome Prize in Historic Preservation and Conservation. Krusche was awarded the fellowship on Thursday (April...

  16. Large chunks of melting icebergs in a bay off the coast of Russia

    News

    Does Russia stand to benefit from climate change?

    Icebergs in Mikoyan Bay, Bolshevik Island, Severnaya Semlya, Russia. (Photo Credit: Ansgar Walk) New research examines the effect of climate change on Russia and the country’s role in addressing global environmental challenges   “There’s a narrative out there about climate change that says there are winners and losers. Even...

Discover and engage
  1. Congregation and clergy gather at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart with a purple banner and white-draped coffin.

    Photo Essay

    Remembrance and appreciation

    Lou Holtz, 1937–2026

  2. Smiling man with gray hair wearing a navy blazer, light blue dress shirt, and blue striped tie with orange accents, seated in a conference room with artwork and a monitor visible in the blurred background.

    Article

    A dignity movement

    2026 Laetare Medalist Timothy Shriver

  3. Smiling older man with short gray hair wearing a gray blazer and light blue shirt, set against a deep blue background overlaid with colorful financial candlestick chart graphics in teal, pink, and red.

    Podcast

    How do you measure success?

    Mendoza professor Joe Holt joins Jenna Liberto to talk purpose-driven goals, meaningful work, and redefining success.

  4. Students and three priests in white vestments gather for a night mass around a lit snow chapel and altar, snow-covered Sorin Hall in background.

    Photo Essay

    Between winter and spring

    The month in photos, February 2026

  5. Side-by-side black and white portraits. On the left, a man with wavy hair and a patterned blazer is shown in a grainy halftone style. On the right, Father Theodore Hesburgh, C.S.C., in a clerical collar, looks thoughtfully to the left.

    Article

    The press vs. the power

    Observer founder Robert Sam Anson had a contentious yet strong relationship with ND President Father Hesburgh.

  6. A woman with short dark hair smiles slightly while looking off-camera. She wears a brown, fleece-lined winter jacket. In the background, snow rests on dried plants in front of a tan brick wall.

    Podcast

    Cold plunges and unicorns

    Anthropologist Cara Ocobock reveals what extreme cold reveals about our bodies and human resilience, and why hunting a “unicorn” is harder than it looks.

  7. A snow-covered parking lot at the University of Notre Dame. Dozens of cars are buried under thick mounds of white snow, with one yellow Jeep featuring an ND logo on the spare tire cover visible amidst the winter landscape.

    Photo Essay

    Plunging into winter

    The month in photos, January 2026

  8. A wooden mannequin is manipulated like a marionette by two large, silhouetted hands from above. The background is divided vertically down the center into solid blue and red sections, symbolizing themes of control and political polarization.

    Article

    Are we social media's puppets?

    Peacebuilder Lisa Schirch believes better tech platforms can bolster democracy.

  9. Aerial view of the University of Notre Dame campus covered in snow at sunset. The Golden Dome and Basilica of the Sacred Heart spire stand against a vibrant orange sky above snow-dusted rooftops and a central quad with intersecting walkways.

    Article

    Sustainers of hope: How Notre Dame pursued breakthroughs for a world in need in 2025

    The year in review.