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Research

Discover the R1 Research Impact

When you choose to research at Clemson, you gain access to the resources of a Carnegie R1 research institution. Our active Extension and public service network, state-of-the-art innovation campuses and robust programs empower high-impact researchers to create the work they’ve always dreamed of.

Search Open Positions
A male researcher holds a clemson football helmet as he prepares to perform tests using a stuffed mannequin head

REENVISIONING
ENERGY-POSITIVE TRANSPORTATION

Graduate automotive engineering students are advancing sustainable mobility through Deep Orange 17, a vehicle prototype that generates more energy than it consumes during a typical urban commute. Innovative solar panel technology allows the vehicle to harvest solar power while parked and in motion, helping offset the energy used while driving.

How efficiency meets functionality in Deep Orange 17
A male graduate student wearing a gray blazer, light blue button-down shirt and glasses poses for a headshot.

"This was an incredibly challenging project — not only to create a working energy-positive prototype but to demonstrate how a vehicle can become increasingly energy independent through solar integration. Seeing our initial research and design validated in a working prototype has been incredibly rewarding."

Harsh Manghnani,
automotive engineering M ’26 and Deep Orange 17 solar integration lead
The Deep Orange 17 prototype vehicle, featuring a futuristic, angular design with a black front, wood-toned sides and blue-tinted windows, is parked outside a modern glass-and-concrete building on a sunny day.

Clemson Research by the Numbers

Innovation Clusters

Clemson’s innovation clusters represent the primary areas where the University has a rich history of expertise and new research opportunities designed to benefit our state and country.

  • Advanced Materials
  • Cyberinfrastructure and Big Data Science
  • Energy, Transportation and Advanced Manufacturing
  • Health Innovation
  • Human Resilience
  • Sustainable Environment
James Barker Illustration of Hardin Hall
Industry partners speak at a press conference at the CURI research facility alongside University leadership

Industry Partners

Clemson University faculty, staff and students provide expertise, state-of-the-art research facilities and the determined spirit required to create innovative answers for today’s industries.

Corporate Partnerships and Strategic Initiatives
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Faculty Research Support

Clemson attracts and retains leading researchers by remaining committed to allocating funds, personnel and exclusive opportunities for researchers. Discover the programs and initiatives that provide Clemson researchers with grants, major research equipment and more.

Review Clemson’s Research Initiatives
Division of Research

BUILDING COLLABORATIVE AI SYSTEMS

As teams of drones, robots, vehicles and sensors perform real-world tasks such as disaster response, agricultural monitoring and autonomous driving, they must be able to coordinate their actions. Lan Zhang, an assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering, is developing a new approach to wireless communication that could help AI systems work together more effectively.

A female professor and a male student sit together in an office in front of a computer workstation, examining data on a laptop while handling wired electronic equipment.

USING INFORMATION INTELLIGENTLY

Zhang’s research focuses on “swarm AI,” in which groups of devices undertake tasks that they could not handle alone. She investigates how wireless communication can be adapted to prioritize the most important information, helping AI systems make better decisions.

Helping AI teams share what matters most

Clemson Research News

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