Research Program Areas - Office of Research & Innovation
Our Comparative Advantage
The ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø (NPS) has robust research and innovation programs. The research programs support graduate education by providing militarily relevant thesis topics that address issues from the current needs of the fleet and joint forces to the science and technology required to sustain long-term superiority of the Navy/DOD. Research varies from the fundamental to the applied and covers all levels of classification. Annually, research is aligned to top priority naval needs per Program Area detailed by Naval leadership in the fleet and force strategies. NPS currently has nine academic "Warfighter Development" program areas, aligned to ten "Warfighting Development" research program areas.
Critical and strategic thinkers able to problem-solve, adapt, innovate, and lead

Classified and applied research and innovative solutions
Technical Capabilities
- Acoustics and Undersea Sensing
- Aerodynamics and Aircraft Propulsion
- Advanced Manufacturing Technologies and Applications
- Artificial Intelligence and Autonomous Systems
- Cybersecurity, Cyber Operations, Cyber Warfare
- Data Science and Decision Superiority
- Quantum Sciences
- Power & Energy and Directed Energy
- Human Systems Integration
- Hypersonics Research
- Information Strategy Research
- Infrastructure Defense
- Materials Research and Applications
- Naval Warfare Concepts, Operations, and Design
- Network Innovation and Experimentation
- Spacecraft and Systems Engineering
The NPS Advantage
Only NPS synchronizes student operational experience and graduate education with applied research and faculty expertise to deliver innovative warfighting solutions and leaders educated to understand and employ them.

Major Facilities
- All-domain, Joint Interagency Field Experimentation test facilities (JIFX)
- Center for Autonomous Vehicle Research (CAVR)
- Center for Cyber Warfare (CCW)
- Center for Interdisciplinary Remotely Piloted Aircraft Studies (CIRPAS)
- Cryptologic Research Laboratory
- Directed Energy Simulation Laboratory
- Interactive Digital Environment Analysis (IDEA) Laboratory
- Ocean Acoustic Observatory
- Radar/Electronic Warfare Laboratory
- Rocket and Combustion Laboratory
- Secure Computer Network Research Laboratory
- Spacecraft Research and Design Center
- Turbopropulsion Laboratory
- Underwater Systems Sensing Laboratory