Princeton CBE

What Princeton CBE does

Princeton CBE is the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering at Princeton University, an academic unit founded in 1922 and renamed to its current form in 2010 when biological engineering was formally added to its mandate. The department operates a graduate PhD program (~110 students), an ABET-accredited undergraduate B.S.E. program (~99 students), and supports more than 70 postdoctoral researchers alongside 23+ tenured/tenure-track faculty. Its research portfolio is organized around six areas: Energy & Sustainability; Materials & Nanotechnology; Bioengineering & Health; Data Science & AI; Complex Systems & Transport; and Theory & Computation. The faculty includes three National Academy of Engineering members and one National Academy of Sciences member (Clifford Brangwynne), who also holds a MacArthur Fellowship and HHMI Investigatorship.

The department's core "products" are degree-credentialed graduates and peer-reviewed research output across biomaterials, biophysics, computational biology, polymers, soft matter, AI/ML applications, and related areas. Research is conducted in collaboration with Princeton's Princeton Materials Institute (PMI), the Omenn-Darling Bioengineering Institute (ODBI), the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment, and the Princeton Center for Complex Materials (PCCM). The department is advised by an Advisory Council of industry and academic leaders and lists five faculty startups as translational outputs of its research.

As a non-profit academic unit of Princeton University, Princeton CBE does not operate a commercial revenue model. Its operating budget is funded through a combination of university allocations, endowment draw, federal research grants (NSF, NIH, DOE), private gifts, and sponsored research agreements. There are no disclosed commercial customers, ARR figures, or pricing structures — the department's "go-to-market" is graduate admissions, undergraduate enrollment, and competitive grant capture. This structure makes the unit unsuitable for traditional revenue or valuation benchmarking; growth is measured in faculty hires, research output, degree production, and external awards rather than commercial KPIs.

Name

Princeton CBE

Legal name

Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University

Website

https://cbe.princeton.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1922

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Princeton CBE is Princeton University's Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, founded 1922 and renamed in 2010, offering ABET-accredited undergraduate and PhD programs across energy, materials, bioengineering, data science, complex systems and theory research areas.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education — Chemical and Biological Engineering Department

NAICS

Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (54171), Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

STEM-Focused Research Universities (Engineering & Applied Sciences) (EDAHABAB)

Keywords

• Chemical engineering education
• Biological engineering research
• Graduate engineering programs
• Undergraduate engineering degree
• Academic research department

Headquarters

HQ city

Princeton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Graduate Education Funding: All Ph.D. students receive full funding for five years including tuition coverage and livable stipend based on combined teaching and research assistantships.
2. Research Grants and Contracts: Federal and private research funding from agencies including NSF, DOE, NIH for sponsored research programs across six research areas.
3. Industry Partnerships: Collaborative research with industry partners through the advisory council and research collaborations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Princeton CBE is an academic department within Princeton University's School of Engineering and Applied Science that offers undergraduate (BSE), master's (MSE and M.Eng.), and doctoral (Ph.D.) degree programs in chemical and biological engineering. The department conducts research across six thematic areas — Biomolecular Engineering, Cellular and Tissue Engineering, Complex Materials and Processing, Energy and Environment, Surface Science and Catalysis, and Theory and Computation — and engages in sponsored research collaborations with government agencies, industry partners, and academic institutions.

Product overview

Princeton CBE offers a comprehensive portfolio of educational programs and research activities in chemical and biological engineering. The department provides undergraduate (BSE degree), master's (MSE and M.Eng.), and Ph.D. programs, all focused on preparing students for leadership in academia, industry, and government. The BSE degree is ABET-accredited and offers six areas of concentration. Research is organized into six thematic areas: Biomolecular Engineering, Cellular and Tissue Engineering, Complex Materials and Processing, Energy and Environment, Surface Science and Catalysis, and Theory and Computation. Graduate education features 100% funded Ph.D. positions with close mentorship, while undergraduate programs include mandatory senior thesis research and optional independent work opportunities. The department also hosts recurring events including the Graduate Student Symposium and Critical Point social gatherings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Chemical and Biological Engineering BSE Degree ABET-accredited Bachelor of Science in Engineering degree program in Chemical and Biological Engineering with six areas of concentration: Bioengineering & Biotechnology; Entrepreneurship & Management; Energy/Sustainability/Environmental Technologies; Materials & Molecular Engineering; Computation/Data Science/AI/ML; and Applied Engineering Sciences. Prepares students for careers in chemical, biochemical, biomedical, and materials industries, academia, and government laboratories.
• Ph.D. Program in Chemical and Biological Engineering Research-focused doctoral program with 110 Ph.D. students. All Ph.D. students receive full funding for five years including tuition coverage and livable stipend based on combined teaching and research assistantships. Average time to completion is 4.9 years. Includes optional interdisciplinary adviser arrangements and prepares students for independent researcher roles in industry or academia.
• Master of Science in Engineering (MSE) Degree Research-based master's degree requiring a thesis; typically completed within 21 months, with some students finishing in as few as 15 months. Applicants typically require outside funding (often from employers).
• Master of Engineering (M.Eng.) Degree Coursework-based master's degree requiring at least eight graduate-level courses. Normally completed in one academic year full-time or two years part-time. Applicants typically require outside funding (often from employers).
• Biomolecular Engineering Research Program Research area covering synthetic biology, biosensors, genetic circuits, metabolically engineered strains, directed evolution (building on 2019 Nobel Prize-winning technology), and computational modeling for medical applications including drug development and protein engineering.
• Cellular and Tissue Engineering Research Program Research area combining microfluidics, soft matter physics, cell biology, and imaging to study cellular machinery, liquid-liquid phase transitions, tissue morphogenesis, and embryogenesis.
• Complex Materials and Processing Research Program Research area covering soft materials, polymers, organic electronics, photovoltaics, colloidal assemblies, and advanced fluid dynamics for materials development.
• Energy and Environment Research Program Research area addressing sustainable energy solutions including photovoltaics, biofuels, water remediation, CO2 capture, and fusion reactor materials development.
• Surface Science and Catalysis Research Program Research area investigating surface chemistry, heterogeneous catalysis, electrocatalysis, photocatalysis, and plasma catalysis for chemical synthesis and energy applications.
• Theory and Computation Research Program Research area employing computational statistical mechanics, molecular dynamics, Monte Carlo simulations, density functional theory, ab initio molecular dynamics, and machine learning for materials and biological systems modeling.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% of graduate students receive full funding for five years
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• ABET (Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerABET provides accreditation for the undergraduate Chemical Engineering program through its Engineering Accreditation Commission, ensuring the program meets established standards for engineering education.
• Advisory Council MemberscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry and academic leaders including Amazon, Cornell University, Waters-TA Instruments, University of Texas at Austin, Clear Skies Hydrogen, OGCI Climate Investments, Stanford University, University of Michigan, and University of Delaware provide strategic guidance and industry connections.
• Princeton Materials Institute (PMI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative research institute focused on materials science and engineering, providing shared resources and research collaboration opportunities for CBE faculty and students.
• Omenn-Darling Bioengineering Institute (ODBI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBioengineering research institute providing interdisciplinary collaboration opportunities for CBE researchers working at the intersection of engineering and life sciences.
• Andlinger Center for Energy and the EnvironmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnergy and environment research center with strong CBE faculty presence at all leadership and research levels, focusing on technological solutions, economic analyses, and policy for energy and environmental challenges.
• Princeton Center for Complex Materials (PCCM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMaterials science research center providing postdoctoral fellowship opportunities and research collaboration for CBE faculty and students.
• Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics (LSI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInterdisciplinary genomics institute providing research opportunities and fellowship programs for CBE researchers working in computational and molecular biology areas.
• Princeton Environmental Institute (PEI)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnvironmental research institute supporting interdisciplinary research and education in environmental science and sustainability.
• Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDOE national laboratory collaborating on fusion energy research and development of materials for plasma reactors, including tokamaks.
• Presidential Postdoctoral Research Fellows ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity-wide program recognizing and supporting scholars who contribute to diversity, including members of underrepresented groups in STEM disciplines.
• Princeton Bioengineering Initiative (PBI²) Distinguished Postdoctoral FellowscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPostdoctoral fellowship program supporting scholars at the interface of engineering and life sciences, with expanding research focus on fundamental engineering concepts applied to biology.
• Andlinger Distinguished Postdoctoral FellowscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPostdoctoral fellowship supporting scholars researching energy and environment with focus on innovative technological solutions and policy impacts.
• PCCM Materials Science Postdoctoral FellowshipcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPostdoctoral fellowship in materials science and engineering for early-career scientists.
• Princeton Center for Theoretical Science Postdoctoral FellowshipscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPostdoctoral fellowships for talented individuals in theoretical science, selected through annual international search.
• Lewis-Sigler Institute FellowscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFellowship program for early career scientists with diverse backgrounds working in integrative genomics.
• T32 Postdoctoral Training Program - Translating Research in Regenerative MedicinemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNIH-funded multi-institutional training program in regenerative medicine with labs and faculty mentors at six institutions including Princeton.

Scale indicators18 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• UT Austin McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering: UT Austin ChemE is a top public research university program explicitly listed as a Princeton CBE advisory council partner, with strong energy research that overlaps Princeton's Energy and Environment area.
• UC Berkeley Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering: Berkeley's CBE department is a top public research university program with comparable research areas, scale, and federal funding profile; often co-ranked with Princeton CBE in graduate program rankings.
• Stanford Chemical Engineering Department: Stanford ChemE is a closely comparable private research university department offering BS, MS, and PhD programs with strong biomolecular engineering, energy, and computational research thrusts, similarly elite faculty, and similar industry partnership profiles.
• Cornell Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering: Cornell ChemE is a comparable private Ivy League peer with overlapping research areas (biomolecular engineering, energy, materials), explicit advisory council partnership with Princeton CBE, and similar ABET-accredited undergraduate program structure.
• Georgia Tech School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering: Georgia Tech ChBE is a leading public research university ChemE department with comparable research scope, strong industry partnerships in the Southeast, and similar scale of PhD and undergraduate programs.
• University of Michigan Chemical Engineering Department: Michigan ChemE is a large, top-ranked public research university program with similar research breadth across biomolecular, energy, materials, and computation, and is explicitly listed as a Princeton CBE advisory council partner institution.
• Caltech Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering: Caltech CCE is a smaller, top-tier private research university chemical engineering program with similarly elite faculty density and emphasis on computation, catalysis, and molecular-scale engineering — directly comparable in research intensity though smaller in cohort size.
• Carnegie Mellon Chemical Engineering Department: CMU ChemE is a top private research university program with comparable research areas, particularly strong in computational and theory aspects that align with Princeton CBE's Theory and Computation focus area.
• MIT Department of Chemical Engineering: MIT ChemE is the most direct peer — a top private research university chemical engineering department offering ABET-accredited undergraduate, master's, and PhD programs across the same six research areas (biomolecular, energy, materials, computation, catalysis) with similar scale (~100+ PhD students, comparable federal funding mix).
• University of Delaware Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering: Delaware CBE is a comparable research university program with strong materials and biomolecular research programs; explicitly listed as a Princeton CBE advisory council partner.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/PrincetonCBE
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/princeton-cbe

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Princeton CBE