Starfield doesn’t just have items that you can find in the world, you can also craft items and upgrade gear using the Research Lab. So, here are all the Starfield Research Projects so you know what upgrades are in-store, especially as you can’t see all of them in-game right away.
Within the Research Laboratory there are a number of different categories of projects. It’s these very categories that will let you take your Starfield armor, weapons, and other items to new heights, as we’ve done during our Starfield review. In fact, we’ve even upgraded many of the best Starfield weapons with powerful mods that improve their stats.
Starfield Research Projects
The Starfield Research Projects are:
- Medical Treatment 1 – Pharmacology Research
- Medical Treatment 2 – Pharmacology Research
- Performance Enhancement 1 – Pharmacology Research
- Performance Enhancement 2 – Pharmacology Research
- Innovative Synthesis 1 – Pharmacology Research
- Innovative Synthesis 2 – Pharmacology Research
- Resource Extraction 1 – Outpost Development Research
- Decoration 1 – Outpost Development Research
- Domestication 1 – Outpost Development Research
- Horticulture 1 – Outpost Development Research
- Manufacturing 1 – Outpost Development Research
- Manufacturing 1 – Outpost Development Research
- Outpost Defense 1 – Outpost Development Research
- Power Generation 1 – Outpost Development Research
- Robots 1 – Outpost Development Research
- Helmet Mods 1 – Equipment Research
- Spacesuit Mods 1 – Equipment Research
- Pack Mods 1 – Equipment Research
- Barrel Mods 1 – Weaponry Research
- Barrel Mods 2 – Weaponry Research
- Grip and Stock Mods 1 – Weaponry Research
- Grip and Stock Mods 2 – Weaponry Research
- Grip and Stock Mods 3 – Weaponry Research
- Magazine and Battery Mods 1 – Weaponry Research
- Magazine and Battery Mods 2 – Weaponry Research
- Optics and Laser Mods 1 – Weaponry Research
- Optics and Laser Mods 2 – Weaponry Research
- Optics and Laser Mods 3 – Weaponry Research
- Muzzle Mods 1 – Weaponry Research
- Muzzle Mods 2 – Weaponry Research
- Internal Mods 1 – Weaponry Research
- Receiver Mods 1 – Weaponry Research
- Beverage Development 1 – Food and Drink
- Old Earth Cuisine 1 – Food and Drink
- Mixology 1 – Food and Drink
- Exotic Recipes 1 – Food and Drink
Pharmacology Research Projects
The three main Pharmacology Research Projects – Medical Treatment, Performance Enhancement, and Innovate Synthesis – are all about improving Aid items. Typically, this means unlocking new healing items and consumable buffs.
Medical Treatment unlocks:
- Analgesic Poultice
- Antibiotic Injector
- Antibiotic Paste
- Boudicca
- Infused Bandages
- Junk Flush
- Panacea
- Repairing
Performance Enhancement unlocks:
- Amp
- Frostwolf
- Neurajack
- Panopticon
- Paramour
- Red Trench
- Whiteout
Innovative Synthesis unlocks:
- Black Hole Heart
- Dwarf Star Heart
- Giant Heart
- Hypergiant Heart
- Subgiant Heart
- Supermassive Heart
Food And Drink Research Projects
Food and Drink Research Projects are all about unlocking new cooking recipes that you can craft. However, even these more powerful recipes unlocked through the Research Projects system are rather lacking, with only poor temporary stat boosts up for grabs after all this effort.
Beverage Development unlocks:
- Alien Broth
- Alien Energy Drink
- Alien Tonic
- Boba Alien Tea
- Boom Pop! Dynamite
- Bullet Coffee
- Chai Latte
- Sunray Tonic
- Yellow Giant Splash
Old Earth Cuisine unlocks:
- Barbacoa Wrap
- Carbonara
- Chapaguri
- Chicken Marsala
- Chicken Tikka
- Dal Makhani
- Doro Wat
- Latkes
- Meatloaf
- Pappardelle Bolognese
- Reuben
Exotic Recipes unlocks:
- Alien Kebabs
- Alien Pie
- Alien Stew
- Alien Stir-Fry
- Creature Jam
- Crispy Alien Nuggets
- Galaxy Lo Mein
- Nebula Wat
- Star Cluster Marsala
- Stellar Kebabs
- Xenowurst
Mixology unlocks:
- Alien Liquor
- Big Bloody Mary
- Colonel’s Choice
- Disastrous Shipwreck
- Lumberjack Julep
- Very Heavy Water
Outpost Development Research Projects
You guessed it, the Outpost Development Research Projects focus on fleshing out the Starfield outposts system. In fact, these upgrades are almost necessary if you’re looking to go all in on base building as key features and structures are locked behind these projects. The good news is that even the best Starfield outpost locations can be improved with these upgrades, so they won’t go to waste.
Decoration unlocks:
- Additional furniture
Domestication unlocks:
- Commercial Animal Husbandry Facility
- Industrial Animal Husbandry Facility
Horticulture unlocks:
- Commercial Greenhouse
- Industrial Greenhouse
Manufacturing unlocks:
- Simple Fabricator
- Small Warehouse modules
- Inter-System Cargo Links
- Compound Fabricators
- Medium storage facilities
- Multiplex Fabricator
- Large storage facilities
Power Generation unlocks:
- Advanced Wind Turbines
- Solar Domes
- Reactors
- Advanced Reactors
Robots unlocks:
- Garden Mini Bot
- Sanitation Mini Bot
- Engineering Robot
- Logistics Robot
- Power Management Robot
Outpost Defense unlocks:
- Security Mini Bot
- Turret MK.II
- Turret MK.III
- Security Robots
Equipment Research Projects
The Equipment Research Projects are among the most important for the majority of players, amplifying the power of your helmets, spacesuits, and packs with additional effects.
Helmet Mods unlocks:
- EM Shielding
- Energy Shielding
- Explosive Shielding
- Gravitic Composites
- Heavy Shielding
- Sensor Array
Spacesuit Mods unlocks:
- EM Shielding
- Energy Shielding
- Exo Servos
- Explosive Shielding
- Gravitic Composites
- Heavy Shielding
- Optimized Servos
- Pocketed
Pack Mods unlocks:
- Balanced Boostpack
- Emergency Aid
- Extra Capacity
- Hazard Protection
- Medic
- Power Boostpack
- Regeneration
- Skip Capacity Boostpack
Weaponry Research Projects
Weaponry Research Projects are by far the most valuable of all the acquirable upgrades as they serve to increase the performance of your weapons in several ways. Because of this, we recommend starting with these upgrades, as well as dabbling in with Equipment.
Barrel Mods unlocks:
- Bull Barrel
- Extended Barrel
- Fluted Barrel
- Long Barrel
- Magnetic Barrel
- Stabilizing Barrel
- Tech Barrel
Grip and Stock Mods unlocks:
- Ergonomic Stock
- Shielded Tool Grip
- Stabilizing Stock
- Tactical Folding Stock
- Tactical Grip
- Tactical Stock
Internal Mods unlocks:
- Amplifier
- Bullet Hose
- Hair Trigger
- High Powered
- High Velocity
- Overclocked
Magazine and Battery Mods unlocks:
- Annihilator Rounds
- Armor-Piercing Rounds
- Depleted Uranium Rounds
- Drum Magazine
- Electromagnetic Beams
- EM-Charged Shot
- Explosive Rounds
- Extra Large Magazine
- Flechette Drum Magazine
- Flechette Large Magazine
- Flechette Rounds
- Gut Buster Rounds
- Hornet Nest
- Ignition Beams
- Large Battery
- Large Magazine
- Penetrator Rounds
- Slug Shots
- Standard Whitehot Rounds
- Tesla Pylons
- Whitehot Rounds
Muzzle Mods unlocks:
- Choke
- Double Barrel Muzzle
- Focus Nozzle
- Large Muzzle Break
- Muzzle Break
- Shock Charge Band
- Short Suppressor
- Spread Nozzle
- Stealth Lasers
- Suppressor
Optics and Laser Mods unlocks:
- Holographic Sight
- Long Scope
- Recon Laser Sight
- Recon Scope
- Short Scope
Receiver Mods unlocks:
- Binary Trigger
- Burst Fire
- Fully-Automatic
- Semi-Automatic
How to complete Starfield Research Projects
To complete Research Projects in Starfield, visit a Research Laboratory station and turn in the required materials for your chosen project.
Handing in all the necessary materials will complete the Research Project and oftentimes even unlock the next tier of the Project. However, some of these materials can be quite rare, so make sure to explore and extract resources using outposts. Otherwise, you’ll be waiting quite some time to complete all the Projects.
Luckily, there’s also a chance each time you hand in resources that you will automatically gain bonus materials to hand in, completing the Research Project much, much faster.
And that’s all the Starfield Research Projects you can work your way through, and you’ll certainly want to if you want to become the best interstellar explorer around. With maxed out Starfield weapons and Starfield skills, you’ll be a force to be reckoned with. Thankfully if you venture into Starfield New Game Plus your Research Projects will come with you too.
Still looking for more? While a good Starfield wiki can be a handy source of information, our new Starfield Database goes further, offering you daily news, searchable databanks, and even interactive tools.