Research

As the number one public university in Virginia and a top 10 U.S. university for innovation, George Mason is at the forefront of innovation and discovery to meet the toughest challenges and creating opportunities yet to be imagined.

George Mason is the state’s largest public research university, doubling its research expenditures over the last five years, totaling $262 million in 2024. 

Holding an R1 designation from the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, George Mason’s research goes beyond the desire to know—it expands our understanding, knowledge, shares data and expertise with communities enabling local response, and builds the infrastructure to improve lab-to-market.

Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence (AI) will be central to the future of knowledge creation, scientific discovery, creative expression, workforce development, and campus operations.

George Mason has named Amarda Shehu as the university’s inaugural vice president and chief artificial intelligence officer (CAIO) to lead the strategy and implementation across research, academics and training, and partnerships, maximizing opportunity and adoption in concert with ethical considerations, governance, and risk mitigation.

George Mason was also the first to offer a School of Computing and a degree in cyber security engineering. Recently, the university opened the multidisciplinary Mason Autonomy and Robotics Center (MARC), which has a 1,649-square-foot, two-story aviary for testing drones and areas for lab experiments, under the guidance of MARC co-director Missy Cummings. This Fall 2024, George Mason created a new Responsible Artificial Intelligence Graduate Certificate program.

National Security and Defense

Growing threats from sophisticated cyberattacks, complex disinformation operations, and efforts to damage the economy—law and policy experts, researchers and scientists at George Mason University are regularly engaged with U.S. government agencies, business and think tanks to advance next-generation capabilities and readiness to ensure the country’s safety.

George Mason is a key partner in the Commonwealth Cyber Initiative (CCI), Virginia’s engine for collaborative research, workforce development, and innovation at the intersection between cybersecurity, autonomous systems, and intelligence. Liza Durant, George Mason’s associate provost for strategic initiatives and associate dean at the College of Engineering and Computing, is the director of the CCI’s Northern Virginia Node. 

According to the World Economic Forum, cyber insecurity remains one of the top 10 global risks over the next 10 years. Led by Founder and Executive Director Jamille Jaffer, the National Security Institute at Antonin Scalia Law School is the premier hub of national security thought leadership and policy solutions in the nation’s capital, educating future leaders, informing policy and dialogue, providing practical solutions, and free security support to under-resourced organizations. Jaffer shared his view on current and future global threats on President Washington’s Access to Excellence podcast: Episode 59 - Cybersecurity and the global threats of tomorrow.

The university is committed to growing a strong, diverse cybersecurity workforce—from critical infrastructure to small businesses and schools. Sarah Campbell, George Mason’s new associate vice president of research for defense and security initiatives, will collaborate across the university to expand applied research and funding sources to support defense and security programs.