Research happening at Rutgers University is making impacts across the globe, from medical advancements to everyday innovations.

As a Top 100 World Research University, Rutgers is home to over 300 research centers and institutes. On an annual basis, the university brings in research funding adding up to roughly $1 billion.

“Investments that we're making at research universities are really essential because the way America wins is we have to be ahead of the game," Michael Zwick said, the senior vice president for research at Rutgers. "We're facing fierce global competition."

According to Zwick, the university has more than 4,600 grants in its research portfolio, ranging in areas from arts and humanities, social behavioral sciences, economics, engineering, natural sciences and more.

"Some of the real signature work, remarkable work in agriculture, that we’ve done in the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences that Jim Simon has done with plant breeding to build drought-resistant and disease-resistant plants," Zwick said.

He says another advancement from the drone lab comes to his mind - the Edison Patent Award-winning Naviator, made possible by collaborating with industry experts.

"It operates both underwater and in the air, so it can be used to assess the underside of oil rigs or bridges," Zwick said.

Speaking of infrastructure, like bridges, Rutgers' Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation developed the BEAST.

“It allows you to test materials that are in bridges and other sorts of transportation support structures. Instead of taking 20, 30 years of wear, you can basically simulate 20 to 30 years of wear in a few months," Zwick said.

He said in the last five years, Rutgers' research funding has grown by 41%.

"It really is our goal to have impact and touch the life of every single person in every community in New Jersey," Zwick said.