CURRENT PROGRAMS
INSTAR Lab's research thrusts span frontier technology and applied science, organized around domains of national priority and public benefit. Each thrust is pursued by interdisciplinary teams drawing on INSTAR's full range of methodological and computational resources. Programs are shaped by scientific merit, not by existing funding — and are open to collaborative engagement by qualified researchers and institutional partners.
Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning
INSTAR pursues foundational and applied AI/ML research spanning model interpretability, reasoning under uncertainty, and large-scale data analytics. Work in this area addresses both scientific-discovery applications and broader societal implications of intelligent systems.
Quantum Science & Computing
INSTAR's quantum research thrust examines quantum information theory, quantum algorithm development, and the interface between quantum physics and practical computing architectures. The program is oriented toward long-horizon breakthroughs that align with national quantum-initiative priorities.
Health, Medicine & Bioscience
Research in this thrust addresses human health challenges through interdisciplinary investigation spanning molecular biology, data-driven diagnostics, and translational science. INSTAR's approach emphasizes rigorous methods and open collaboration with the broader biomedical research community.
Energy & Sustainability Research
INSTAR investigates energy systems at the intersection of materials science, computational modeling, and policy analysis. Research targets include next-generation storage, grid optimization, and clean-energy conversion — all areas of national priority and direct public benefit.
Space, Orbital & Materials Science
This thrust explores orbital systems science, advanced materials characterization, and the physical properties of matter under extreme conditions. Investigations draw on computational methods including high-performance simulation and machine-learning-assisted materials discovery.
Data Analytics & High-Performance Computing
INSTAR develops and applies advanced data analytics methods and HPC workflows across research domains. This cross-cutting program provides computational infrastructure, algorithmic expertise, and open tooling that multiplies the productivity of the institute's scientific programs.
GROUNDED IN OPEN DATA
INSTAR Lab grounds its research programs in transparent, publicly available datasets so that results are reproducible, auditable, and accountable to the public. Where feasible, analyses and benchmarks draw on the following authoritative federal and scientific data portals:
Data.gov
The U.S. government's open data portal — used across INSTAR's social science, economics, and policy-adjacent programs for federal datasets spanning agriculture, climate, health, and infrastructure.
NIST
National Institute of Standards and Technology — reference standards, measurement data, and benchmarks used in INSTAR's AI evaluation, materials science, and quantum research programs.
U.S. Census Bureau
Demographic, economic, and geographic data informing INSTAR's social science research, workforce analytics, and regional STEM pipeline studies in Appalachian Ohio and beyond.
NOAA
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration — climate, ocean, and atmospheric datasets used in INSTAR's Earth sciences, energy modeling, and environmental research programs.
NASA Open Data
NASA's open data portal providing imagery, telemetry, and scientific datasets used in INSTAR's outer space, orbital systems, and remote sensing research.
NIH
National Institutes of Health — biomedical research data, clinical datasets, and genomic resources underpinning INSTAR's health, medicine, and life sciences programs.
DOE OSTI
The Department of Energy's Office of Scientific and Technical Information — energy research publications and technical reports informing INSTAR's energy and HPC research.
OUR PARTNERS
Institutional Partnerships
Become an INSTAR Partner
INSTAR Lab works with universities, government agencies, and enterprises on joint research programs, sponsored projects, and technology transfer. Build science together.