A research institute is an establishment endowed for doing research. Though the term often implies scientific research, there are also many research institutes in the social sciences as well, especially for sociological and historical research.
Famous research institutes
One of the earliest research institutes was Tycho Brahe's Uraniborg complex on the island of Hven, a sixteenth-century astronomical laboratory set up to make highly-accurate measurements of the stars.
Laboratory for Physical Sciences - Federally funded research institute at the University of Maryland. Research projects include: quantum computing, fiber optics, optoelectronics, photonics, microelectronics, nanostructures, magnetics, thermal management.
Meta Description: [ Laboratory for Physical Sciences - University of Maryland ]
National Space Science and Technology Center (NSSTC) - Collaborative research and education initiative focused on selected key scientific disciplines. Including the disciplines of earth science, space science, materials science, biotechnology, advanced optics technology, space propulsion physics and information technology.
Meta Description: [ The NSSTC is a collaborative research and education initiative between government, academia and industry, that serves as a laboratory for cutting-edge research in selected scientific and engineering disciplines. ]