Research

Collaborative and Interdisciplinary Research

The Electrical and Computer Engineering department nourishes a vibrant research environment motivated by our dedicated faculty and graduate students. Our research programs are funded by many government agencies, including the National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Institute of Health (NIH), the Office of Naval Research (ONR), the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR), Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), Department of Homeland Security, and numerous local and national industries.

Research activities at the ECE Department can be classified by research areas and by research centers and institutes. The department offers eight research areas of focus and is either the lead or partner of nine research centers and institutes.

Faculty also conduct research in their labs. View faculty profiles to learn about their research, including work being conducted in their laboratories. Also, view our Annual Reports and college-wide Research Initiatives.

Quick Facts

$40M

external research awards (2022)

tenured/tenure-track faculty

10+

research centers and institutes (leading or affiliated with)

Research Strengths

Our research strengths encompass the full gamut of cutting-edge ECE technologies: embedded systems and internet-of-things, robotics and cyber-human systems, networking (mobile/wireless as well as the Internet of the future), big data analytics and machine learning. Northeastern’s historic strengths in ECE include communications and digital signal processing, power and control systems, power electronics, RF/microwave magnetic materials, device technologies, and computer engineering.

Biomedical Research and Collaborations

Northeastern ECE faculty are engaged in a range of biomedical projects in collaboration with fellow world-class researchers in the Boston-area medical community. These projects span all disciplinary areas and include MEMS/NEMS sensors for biological detection; applications of wireless technology in biomedical implants; biomedical imaging hardware and signal processing; brain-computer interface technologies; disease detection and tracking; and many more.

Recent News

More News

Reshaping Spectrum Sharing Above 100 GHz

ECE Professors Josep Jornet (PI), Tommaso Melodia, Principal Research Scientists Michele Polese, Michael Marcus, and Associate Research Scientist Vitaly Petrov, in collaboration with Steven Reising from Colorado State University, was awarded a $750K NSF grant for “DASS: Dynamically Adjustable Spectrum Sharing between Ground Communication Networks and Earth Exploration Satellite Systems Above 100 GHz.”

Harris Selected to Receive ACerS W. David Kingery Award

Vincent Harris, University Distinguished and William Lincoln Smith Professor, electrical and computer engineering, was selected to receive the American Ceramics Society’s W. David Kingery Award, which recognizes distinguished lifelong achievements involving multidisciplinary and global contributions to ceramic technology, science, education and art.

Developing Ultra-Low Power Machine-Learning Hardware

ECE Associate Professor Aatmesh Shrivastava was awarded up to $1M Young Faculty Award (YFA) from DARPA for “Nano-Watt Power Machine-Learning Hardware using Precision Analog Computing.”

Ostadabbas Selected as a Finalist of the Eureka Award of the 2023 Oracle Excellence Award

ECE Associate Professor Sarah Ostadabbas was selected as one of the finalists of the Eureka Award of the 2023 Oracle Excellence Awards. With Oracle for Research, researchers in academic, commercial, and governmental settings, across all disciplines, are exploring novel ways to achieve ground-breaking results to make the world a better place.