The Ohio State University Aerospace Research Center

The Aerospace Research Center advances aerospace research at The Ohio State University by leading interdisciplinary research focused on aerospace technology, and by fostering outstanding graduate and undergraduate student education. We connect core strengths across the university, advancing knowledge and technology to address current and future air transportation challenges. ARC also serves as a unique resource for industry, academia, government labs and other organizations to collaborate on complex research challenges. Faculty expertise includes power and propulsion, aerodynamics, materials science, controls, manufacturing, law, medicine and policy – all connected to aerospace. ARC’s most prominent research areas are in unmanned aircraft systems, aerodynamic flow control and gas turbine engines. Over 20 faculty conduct research through experimental, computational and theoretical approaches. Faculty are supported by a robust team of researchers and technical support staff, with over 45 graduate students and 10 undergraduates engaged in research. Our funding sources are evenly spread across the federal government, industry and the state of Ohio, with annual expenditures growing from $2.8M in fiscal year 2017 to $7.7M in fiscal year 2020. ARC’s cutting-edge experimental facilities and computational capabilities have supported groundbreaking discoveries that are now fueling some of industry’s latest improvements. With our strategic location at The Ohio State University Airport, we excel at advancing research from fundamental to applied (benchtop to flight!). Notable activities include a Pratt & Whitney Center of Excellence on Blade Tip Rub and the Federal Aviation Administration ASSURE Center of Excellence on Safe and Efficient Integration of Unmanned Aircraft Systems into the National Airspace System. Research findings also directly inform policymaking at the federal level, helping ensure safe and sustainable technology growth for the betterment of society.