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RESEARCH AND SCHOLARSHIP ACTIVITIES:
COLLEGES, CENTERS, AND INSTITUTES

Introduction

The research enterprise at Oregon State University is remarkably broad, deep and diverse, spanning activities in eleven academic colleges and more than 20 multidisciplinary programs, centers, programs, and institutes. In these research summaries, we provide an overview of these programs and the excellence they represent. By referring to Research, Innovation, Scholarship and Creativity, we emphasize that "research" at OSU is interpreted broadly, to reflect what goes on not only in laboratories and field stations, but also in libraries, art studios, and music practice rooms. These research and scholarly activities - the discovery, sharing and application of new knowledge - contribute fundamentally to three university-wide goals:

  • to create a compelling learning environment for students, faculty and staff;

  • to become a top-tier university in as many ways as possible; and

  • to serve as the campus for the state of Oregon, the Northwest, and beyond.

We help create a compelling learning experience by involving undergraduates directly in research as part of our Undergraduate Research Innovation Scholarship and Creativity (URISC) Program and by supporting the graduate student research experience. We help to achieve top-tier status, through publications such as this one, by communicating to our various constituents about the breadth, depth, and value of OSU's research and scholarly activities. And we help serve as the research campus for the state of Oregon and beyond by being an academic "collaboratory," a place where partners in industry, K-12 school systems, state and federal agencies and laboratories, and other universities can not only have access to, but also engage directly in, research and scholarly efforts here on campus. The mission of the Vice President for Research and the Research Office is to provide support for, and leadership to, the OSU faculty and staff in their efforts to extend the frontiers of knowledge through research, innovation, scholarship, and creativity. Read more about Research Office Services.The summaries on these web pages are organized by OSU colleges and each of their departments, by OSU programs, and by OSU centers, and institutes. For each entity, there is an overview of its broad goals and major research and scholarship questions. Contact information for deans, department heads, and directors are also provided, as well as links to the website of each unit.