Research is one of the main areas of the University activity. Its main tasks are to develop fundamental, exploratory and applied research in the priority fields of modern science coordinating it with training of specialists, research and teaching staff; enhance training and educational process; to fully engage the University intellectual potential in the development of science, culture, scientific and technological advance.

Considerable research potential of the University is acknowledged by the Ukrainian Cabinet of Ministers Decree No 76 of February 3rd, 2010granting the University the status of Self-governing (Autonomous) Research University. In 2009/10 academic year on the University staff comprised 1200 teaching and research personnel and 475 researchers including 5 Corresponding Members of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, 222 Doctors of Sciences/Letters, Full Professors and 807 PhDs, Associate Professors. The University also has 230 invited specialists, who have their second employment at the University: 15 Academicians and Corresponding Members of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Full Professors, 96 Doctors of Sciences/Letters and 112 PhDs. Thus at the beginning of the new academic year the University faculty employs 333 Doctors of Sciences/Letters, Full Professors and 919 PhDs, Associate Professors.

The University researchers are actively engaged in research activity. In 2009 Plan for University Research comprised 130 research projects (89 fundamental and 41 applied research projects) funded by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine and in 2010 the University works on 132 research projects. The University has Fundamental Research Fund; in 2009 it funded 23 research projects, in 2010 ? 19.

In 2009 the University established Fund for Development and Modernization of Facilities and Equipment for Research and Teaching Activity to upgrade existing facilities and acquire modern research equipment and instruments.

All the research projects, carried out by the University scholars, are made in the priority fields of science and technology. Most of the projects are carried out within the Program for Fundamental Research of the Most Important Problems in Natural, Social and Humanitarian Sciences. In 2009 the University worked on 14 agreements to conduct research under governments funding, funds from the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine and the University Fundamental Research Fund as well as international grant programs.

In 2009/10 the University worked on 23 international grant programs, most of them were established by such countries as Germany (supervisor ? S.I. Posokhov), Finland (supervisor ? H.P. Horbenko), India (supervisor ? A.I.Bozhkov), Israel (supervisor ? A.O. Doroshenko), the USA (supervisor ? I.A. Zherebkina), the EU (supervisor ? H.V. Titenko), and one grant of Science and Technology Center in Ukraine (STCU) (supervisor ? P.I. Poteiko).

The University researchers also participate in international research and technical projects, almost all of them are innovative, such as:

• development of STEP-F apparatus for continuous measurement of electron currents and alpha-particle radiation in the Earth radiation belts (Russia-Ukraine, supervisor ? I.I. Zaliubovskyi, Corresponding Member of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Full Professor);
• international research project Interaction of European, national and regional nation identities among countries along new European Union boarders (ENRI-East, FP 7 project, supervisor ? V.S. Bakirov, Corresponding Member of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Full Professor);
• Study of rare decays and processes in low-background conditions (Russia-Ukraine, supervisor ? I.D. Fedorets, Head of the Laboratory);
• Genes causing brain tumor development and their interaction with signaling pathways (Canada-Ukraine, supervisor ? A.I. Bozhkov, Full Professor).

The University cooperates with Research Institutes of The National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. There have been established 18 branches of School Departments, 2 centers with unique equipment for shared use. The University has 27 research laboratories in various fields of science.

In 2009 the University completed 32 research projects funded by the Ukrainian government, 23 research projects under the University Fundamental Research Fund program, 17 research projects within the University Fund for Development and Modernization of Facilities and Equipment for Research and Teaching Activity, 10 commissioned research projects.

The most effective fundamental research projects include:

1. Exciting and radiating electromagnetic fields with regular and irregular waveguide-slot structures (supervisor ? V.O. Katrych, Full Professor).
2. Physical mechanisms of low-intensity laser radiation impact on biological objects (supervisors ? V.V. Tovstiak, Full Professor, V. A. Svich, Full Professor).
3. Physical properties of asteroids, Kuiper belt objects and comets by photometric and polarimetric observations (supervisor ? D.F. Lupishko, Full Professor).
4. Mechanisms for emerging sustaining and mobilizing of animal foetus and stem cells in normal development and experimental conditions (supervisor ? V.V. Klymenko, Full Professor).

Applied innovative research projects include:

1. Development of computer modeling for relief-dependent factor of landscape and geochemical migration within drainage basins (supervisor ? S.V. Kostrikov, Full Professor).
2. Development of substantive provisions of the program of information cartographical maintenance of modernization and reforming of regional links of the educational complex in Ukraine (supervisor ? I.Y. Levytskyi, Full Professor).
3. Development, research and technological approbation of cluster ion and plasma system for micro- and nanostructure synthesis and processing (supervisor ? V.I.Farenyk, PhD (Physics and Mathematics).
4. Electric radiation dose estimation methods with the use of computer modeling (supervisor ? V.T. Lazuryk, DSc (Physics and Mathematics).

The University research publications show its successful research activity. In 2009 the University researchers published 101 monographs (13 were published abroad), the University issued 45 issues of V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University Bulletin, 73 collections of research papers, 4900 articles and report abstracts (about 25% were published in leading foreign editions), the University received 7 patents in Ukraine (sole patentee) and 56 patents (joint patentee). 38 University research journals have been registered with the Higher Attestation Committee of Ukraine. For the first 6 months of 2010 the University researchers published 36 monographs (7 were published abroad), the University issues 29 issues of V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University Bulletin, published 33 collections of research papers, 2527 articles and report abstracts (425 were published in leading foreign editions), the University received 20 patent, 15 of these intellectual property objects are owned by the University researchers (joint patentee). The University submitted 10 invention applications. An important indicator which determines the University international rating is number of publications referred by international abstract and citation data bases. According to SCOPUS abstract and citation database the University is ranked third among the Universities of Ukraine by the number of publications in leading research editions.

In 2009 the University held 156 conferences including 78 international. For the first 6 months of 2010 the University held 80 conferences including 46 international.

The most noticeable of them are: XXXI Research Conference Application of Lasers in Medicine and Biology, VII Research Conference on Antennae Theory and Technology, Research Conference Physical and Chemical Basis for Micro- and nanostructure Formation and Modification, IX research Conference Physical Phenomena in Solid States, I Congress of Sociological Association of Ukraine Sociology in Situations of Social Ambiguities, Research Conference Computer Modeling in Science-Intensive Technologies, Practical and Research Conference Russian-Ukrainian Borderlands: Conditions and Possibilities for Cooperation, Practical and Research Conference Infections in Clinical Practice. Antibacterial, Antiviral Immunotherapy and Immunoprophlaxis in Clinical and Hospital Conditions, Research Conference Libraries of Higher Educational Institutions of Ukraine on Their Way to Global Informational Space.