Research

UNN annually ranks in the top of three leading Russian universities in the number of postgraduates- the winners of the competitions for scholarships of the President and the Government of the Russian Federation.

The University staff carries out research on the key branches of exact, natural sciences and humanities. Dozens of world renowned scientific schools were formed at UNN. The names of the scientific schools’ founders of UNN are included in the golden fund of the Russian science. 

UNN is the basic university of N.Novgorod scientific centre of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

UNN won seven grants to attract outstanding leading scientists to the Russian higher education institutions of professional education in 2010-2013.

The main objectives of these grants are:

- to set up international class research laboratories at UNN;
- to get world level scientific results;
- to train highly qualified specialists;
- to transfer new developments to economy.

The first grant, entitled "Extreme Fields and Their Applications", was prepared by the Department of General Physics of the Faculty of Radiophysics (the project leader from UNN is professor M.I. Bakunov). A famous French and American scientist in the field of laser physics, the director of Extreme Light Fields Institute in Paris, Gerard Mourou was invited to work at UNN. A world class laser laboratory was set up under his leadership. The extensive experimental and theoretical research will be carried out on the generation of light fields with extremely high peak power and extremely short duration of pulse, on the interaction of such fields with the material and also on the development of compact sources of terahertz, soft X-ray and ultraviolet radiation for application to biomedicine and on the creation of new security systems on the basis of this laboratory.

The second grant entitled "Extracellular Matrix in the Brain" was prepared by the Department of Neurodynamics and Neurobiology of the Faculty of Biology (the project leader from UNN is Doctor of physical and mathematical sciences V.B. Kazantsev). The project is supervised by one of the leading scientists in the field of brain science, a creator of a new trend in neuroscience for the study of the synoptic features of the extracellular matrix in mammalian brain, Professor at Italian Institute of Technology (Genoa, Italy), A.E. Dityatev.

The solution of the problems outlined in the project made it possible to set up a modern scientific and educational centre in the field of brain science at UNN and bring research to the level of modern scientific standards.

The third grant entitled "Radio Physical Principles of Biomedical Technologies, Biomedical Instrumentation and Acoustic Diagnostics" was prepared by the Department of Acoustics of the Faculty of Radiophysics (project leader from UNN is Professor S.N. Gurbatov). A famous Russian scientist in the field of linear acoustics, the head of the Department of Acoustics of Moscow State University, O.V. Rudenko was invited to participate in the project. The Laboratory of Biomedical Technologies, Biomedical Instrumentation and Acoustic Diagnostics (Med Lab) was established under his leadership which ensured carrying out research and coordination of the University departments’ work in the following fields: acoustic diagnostics and high-intensity ultrasound; laser and microwave medical devices. During 2012-2013 Med Lab will begin to solve specific problems and carry out fundamental research to create medical devices the production of which will be organized at the Russian enterprises and, in particular, at the enterprises of Nizhny Novgorod region.

The fourth grant entitled "The Interaction of Atmosphere, Hydrosphere and the Land Surface: Physical Mechanisms, Methods of Monitoring and Control of Planetary Boundary Layers and Environmental Quality." was prepared by the department of electrodynamics of radio-physical faculty of UNN (project leader from UNN is professor Kudrin A.V.). It will be implemented at UNN under the leadership of one of the outstanding scientists in the field of atmospheric physics, Director for Scientific work of the Department of Atmospheric Sciences of the University of Helsinki, professor of the Finish Meteorological Institute, Zilitinkevich S.S.

The project envisages setting up a world-class laboratory which activity will focus on comprehensive studies of physical processes in the planetary boundary layers in the atmosphere and hydrosphere as well as the development and creation of the equipment for monitoring and control of the environment. The solution of the project’s problems will open new opportunities for leading edge research and developments in the field of earth sciences and radio-physical methods of investigation of natural environments, will provide a problem-oriented training of highly qualified specialists of Lab profile from the number of students and postgraduates of UNN and will create prerequisites for their rapid integration into the international scientific community.

In 2010 UNN was the winner of the Russian Federation Government Decree № 218 "On the Public Support for the Establishment of High-Tech Industries". As a result UNN and Joint Stock Company’ Volgostalconstructzia’ implement jointly the project "The Creation of Mobile High-Tech Facility for Treatment and Disposal of Oil Refineries Waste (Acid Tars). The Production of a New Generation Binder for Asphalt Mixtures (Bitumen)." The leader of the project is professor Zorin A.D. (the Faculty of Chemistry). The project was prepared by the Centre of Network Integration of UNN (the head of the centre, professor Orlov I.Y.)

In 1998 scientific and educational centre for nanotechnology "Physics of Solid State Nanostructures" was set up at UNN, one of the first in Russia. The SEC is equipped with unique equipment located in four laboratories. In 2004 another scientific and educational centre "Nanotechnology" was set up at UNN. These SECs are the centres for the development of advanced technologies and provide the transition from research and developments to the introduction of new technologies into production. Nano-technological centres should become the centres of growth of innovative economy in the nearest future.

The infrastructure of knowledge transfer is developing at UNN, including the system of interaction with external enterprises, organizations and scientific institutions. The centre for technology commercialization works at UNN. Research is carried out jointly with the largest scientific centres of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Russian and foreign research and innovation centres and enterprises of high technology (Gazprom, Russatom, Intel, Microsoft, National Instruments, Teleca, Mera etc.).

In 2010 UNN with the programme "The Development of the Integrated Innovation Infrastructure of UNN (National Research University) for Effective Transfer of Research Results and Developments to the Real Sector of Economy" became the winner of the competition for the selection of the programmes of the innovative infrastructure development including the support of small innovative enterprises of Federal educational institutions of higher professional education. The competition was organized by the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation in order to form an innovative environment and the development of cooperation between educational institutions and industrial enterprises.

In 2011 UNN was included in the Federal programme "The Development of the Pharmaceutical and Medical Industry of the Russian Federation for the period until 2020 and further perspective".

The project objective is to set up, on the basis of UNN, the growth zone of medical instrumentation and high biomedical technology as one of the Russian competencies centres with market share and competitive in the sectors relevant to the fields of scientific and innovative development of the growth zone.

The growth zone of medical instrumentation is biomedical cluster, created for a complex solution of the problem of national medical instrumentation modernization. The growth zone includes five specialized divisions: educational, scientific and research, medical, industrial.

In 2011-2013 UNN set up twenty small businesses. Small innovative businesses are set up together with commercial organizations in the framework of the implementation of the Federal law № 217 and are to promote more effective introduction of new intellectual developments in the real sector of economy.

To solve scientific and educational problems UNN interacts with the public authorities and local government, cultural and public institutions and organizations. UNN plays the role of knowledge integrator in the region.