FAU’s Jupiter campus is the only place where two quality research institutions are co-located. Nature Index, the definitive ranking source for research institutions, based these results on high impact papers and yearly growth over the past five years. Along with Florida Atlantic University, a Nikon Center of Excellence, these three institutions form an unparalleled research campus for biomedical research. Aspiring marine biologists can intern at FAU's nearby Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute. Students have unprecedented access to working with world-class research scientists.
Part of the prestigious Max Planck Society, MPFI is the first and only institute of its kind in North America, providing a vibrant, interactive environment where scientists are provided substantial ongoing support that empowers them to take on high-risk projects that act as a catalyst for highly-rewarding innovations. At MPFI, research is focused on the organization and function of neural circuits. MPFI scientists investigate fundamental aspects of these critical networks within the brain and develop new technologies that make groundbreaking discoveries possible. MPFI is home to many FAU graduate and undergraduate trainees and outstanding core facilities shared by FAU neuroscientists. MPFI contribute to the training faculty for students who opt for a graduate degree through the IBNS program.
The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI), with campuses in La Jolla, CA and on the Jupiter, FL campus housing FAU and MPFI research laboratories, is a nonprofit research institute that supports the research of nearly 3,000 scientists. The SRI installation in Jupiter is home to multiple departments, including the Department of Neuroscience which is focused on understanding how the brain works and what goes wrong in the many disorders that affect brain function. TSRI scientists are also heavily engaged in translating basic research discoveries into therapeutics through drug discovery efforts that can help improve the cognitive impairments associated with aging and the many psychiatric and neurological conditions that alter memory including Alzheimer’s disease, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, autism, anxiety and depression. Scientists at TSRI co-mentor many FAU students and are co-mentored by FAU faculty. TSRI faculty engage in many research collaborations with FAU neuroscientists and serve on IBNS thesis committees. Outstanding core facilities, such as those for DNA/RNA sequencing, proteomics, behavioral and metabolic phenotyping, and drug discovery are open to FAU neuroscientists and their trainees.
Florida Atlantic University’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute is located in Fort Pierce. As one of the nation’s premier oceanographic centers, FAU Harbor Branch's research community of approximately 200 ocean scientists, staff and students drives innovation in: marine science and engineering; conservation of coral reefs, studies of marine mammals and fisheries; marine drug discovery; estuarine and coastal ecology and observation; ocean dynamics and modeling; aquaculture and marine science education. Harbor Branch engages with the community through the Ocean Discovery Visitor’s Center and the Ocean Science Lecture Series. Harbor Branch’s research and outreach programs translate marine science in order to provide solutions that improve economies and quality of life for coastal communities.