Research Clusters

Research Clusters are interdisciplinary research communities that support Utah State University’s mission by advancing high quality scholarship, collaboration, and research productivity. Open to faculty, graduate students, and advanced undergraduates from all areas of study and all USU campuses, the Research Clusters provide structured yet flexible spaces to develop research questions, share works in progress, and build scholarly networks.

Research Clusters vary in focus and format, but are unified by a commitment to:

Interdisciplinary collaboration
Research mentorship and professional development
Publicly relevant and place‑based scholarship

Research Clusters serve as incubators for peer reviewed publications, creative research, conference presentations, and external funding proposals, contributing to USU’s national and international research profile.

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Why Join a Research Cluster?

Research Clusters provide a collaborative entry point into high impact research communities at Utah State University. Research Clusters bring together scholars at different career stages to strengthen research quality, foster collaboration, and advance scholarly productivity.

By joining a Research Cluster, participants can:

Advance Research Quality and Impact

Engage in regular opportunities to share works in progress, refine research questions, and strengthen theoretical and methodological approaches.

Build Interdisciplinary Collaboration

Connect with researchers across colleges, disciplines, and campuses to develop collaborative projects and co authored scholarship.

Support Academic and Professional Development

Gain experience with research communication, peer review, and scholarly expectations while building a research portfolio.

Strengthen R1 Research Pathways

Research Clusters can be incubators for conference presentations, journal submissions, creative research, and external funding proposals.

Engage USU’s Land Grant Mission

Participate in research that is publicly relevant, place based, and responsive to regional and global challenges.

Join a Collegial Research Community

Clusters are open to faculty, graduate students, and advanced undergraduates from all areas of study statewide, fostering shared inquiry grounded in academic rigor and mutual respect.

Funding

Research Cluster Faculty Fellowship

The Research Cluster Faculty Fellowship supports faculty research and creative activity that aligns with Utah State University’s Research Clusters.

Learn More & Apply for the Research Cluster Faculty Fellowship

Research Cluster Areas

EcoArt Working Group

The EcoArt Working Group supports interdisciplinary research at the intersection of environmental inquiry, the social sciences, humanities, and creative practice. The group explores how artistic and creative methods can enhance research communication, support collaborative inquiry, and contribute to understanding ecological challenges and human–environment relationships.

Feminist Inquiry Cohort

The Feminist Inquiry Cohort provides a scholarly forum for examining feminist theories and research approaches across disciplines. The cluster emphasizes rigorous analysis, methodological reflection, and theoretical development, supporting participants as they strengthen research design, interpretation, and scholarly contributions.

Race, Ethnicity, and Indigenous Studies

This cluster brings together researchers examining race, ethnicity, and Indigenous studies across historical, cultural, political, and place based contexts. The group supports interdisciplinary research and scholarly exchange that contributes to established academic fields and advances understanding of social organization, governance, history, and identity.

Environment & Climate Justice

The Environment & Climate Justice cluster connects researchers from across disciplines to study the social, cultural, political, and scientific dimensions of environmental and climate change. The cluster supports collaborative projects and policy relevant scholarship examining how environmental challenges affect communities at local, regional, and global scales.

Sexuality and the Body

This cluster supports advanced research on sexuality, embodiment, and the body across cultural, historical, medical, artistic, and political frameworks. Participants engage established and emerging scholarship, workshop works in progress, and develop interdisciplinary approaches that contribute to research on bodies, health, and social experience.

WIPS (Work in Progress Series)

WIPS provides a structured, interdisciplinary forum for faculty and graduate students to present developing research. Participants receive constructive feedback on articles, chapters, creative work, and grant proposals, supporting research clarity, methodological strength, and progress toward publication, presentation, and external funding.

Global & Transnational Issues

This cluster supports interdisciplinary, research‑driven examination of global and transnational issues that inform social, political, economic, cultural, and environmental systems. Participants engage with comparative, historical, and analytical approaches to study cross‑border processes, institutions, and interactions, advancing scholarship that situates localized research questions within broader global frameworks.