Northwestern University’s Office for Research announced four initiatives on October 13, 2026, as part of the university’s 175th year. They include $250,000 seed awards for interdisciplinary teams, a new Center for Community-Engaged Research, a strategic study of arts research, and expanded undergraduate research funding aimed at raising student participation by 50%.
Key Takeaways
- The new Northwestern Nexus Lab Awards will give multiple interdisciplinary teams $250,000 each for 12 to 18 months of work aimed at major external funding competitions.
- The Center for Community-Engaged Research (CCER) will be led by Michelle Shumate, the Delaney Family University Research Professor in the School of Communication.
- Nexus Lab proposals that involve collaboration across the Chicago region are especially encouraged.
- About one-third of Northwestern undergraduates currently do research, and the university is targeting a 50% increase in participation.
- Brian Mustanski, associate vice president for research in social sciences, humanities and the arts, will lead a strategic study of research in the visual and performing arts.
- The Provost’s 2026–27 Humanities, Social Sciences and the Arts Grant is getting additional pilot funding.
The Nexus Lab Awards Put Seed Money Behind Large Collaborations
The largest of the four initiatives is the Northwestern Nexus Lab Awards. Multiple interdisciplinary teams will each receive $250,000 for 12 to 18 months of work toward a major external funding competition. Teams will be chosen through proposal review and a pitch competition, so researchers will have to make their case directly.
The program welcomes ambitious proposals, including ones with significant uncertainty, as long as they have a realistic path to sustained outside support from industry, foundations, philanthropic organizations, or government agencies. The goal is to build research programs that last. Northwestern says successful teams could grow into university research institutes or centers.
The university also says it especially encourages collaborations across the Chicago region. That means the awards could connect Northwestern teams with hospitals, cultural institutions, and research partners well beyond Evanston. Teams that do not win an award will still have access to Office for Research resources for pursuing external funding.
Northwestern’s New Center Targets Durable Community Partnerships
The Center for Community-Engaged Research, housed in the Office for Research, takes on a long-standing problem in university-community research: partnerships that end when a single grant runs out. CCER is meant to help faculty and community organizations find each other, design projects together, and keep working together over time.
Michelle Shumate, the center’s inaugural director, said that durable networks built on shared goals and trust are what make progress on complex social problems possible. She described the center’s purpose as producing research that “creates meaningful community benefits” as well as new knowledge.
The center’s initial priorities are practical. It will help community groups and researchers identify potential collaborators, provide guidance on building fair and lasting partnerships, help teams with administrative processes, and offer training to faculty, staff, and students. It will also look for institutional barriers that make these partnerships harder.
For Chicago neighborhood organizations, the last priority could matter most. Community groups that have worked with universities often cite slow contracting, unclear expectations, and short project timelines as problems. Making those barriers part of the center’s mission signals that Northwestern sees some of the problems as internal.
A Strategic Study Aims to Strengthen Arts Research
The third initiative focuses on the visual and performing arts. Northwestern will fund a study to find ways to strengthen research and creative work at The Block Museum of Art, the Bienen School of Music, the School of Communication, Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, and other arts programs. Brian Mustanski will lead the study.
The university is also adding pilot funding to the Provost’s 2026–27 Humanities, Social Sciences and the Arts Grant. Interim Vice President for Research Sumit Dhar said this kind of scholarship helps people understand human experience and question assumptions. The study adds to Northwestern’s other investments in the arts in a city where universities and cultural institutions often share audiences and talent.
Undergraduate Research Funding Grows
The fourth initiative focuses on students. About one-third of Northwestern undergraduates currently take part in formal research, and the university will pilot increased funding for the Office of Undergraduate Research to raise that share by 50%.
The office already helps students find faculty mentors, write proposals, work as research assistants, and pursue independent projects during the academic year and summer. Director Peter Civetta said research teaches students to evaluate evidence, change course when an approach fails, and explain their findings, skills that apply to any career.
Raising participation from roughly one in three students to about one in two would expand the number of undergraduates working alongside faculty. Many will be in Chicago-area labs, clinics, and cultural institutions.
The 175th Year Connects Northwestern’s History to Its Next Investments
Northwestern presented the four initiatives as a way to support discovery at every stage, from a student’s first project to a team pursuing a new field. President Mung Chiang said they share a goal of giving students and colleagues more opportunities to pursue their best ideas.
The announcement adds to the wave of research partnerships taking shape across Chicago’s universities. Northwestern’s focus on regional collaboration and community partnership points to research that is meant to have an impact well beyond campus.
FAQs
What are the Northwestern Nexus Lab Awards?
They are competitive seed awards of $250,000 each for interdisciplinary research teams. They fund 12 to 18 months of work aimed at winning major external grants, and teams are selected through proposal review and a pitch competition.
What is Northwestern’s Center for Community-Engaged Research?
The CCER is a new center in the Office for Research that helps faculty and community organizations build lasting research partnerships. Michelle Shumate of the School of Communication is its inaugural director.
How many Northwestern undergraduates do research?
About one-third of undergraduates currently take part in research. Northwestern is increasing funding for its Office of Undergraduate Research to raise participation by 50%.
Which Northwestern arts programs are included in the new study?
The study covers The Block Museum of Art, the Bienen School of Music, the School of Communication, Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, and other programs that support the arts.
Why did Northwestern announce these initiatives now?
The four initiatives are part of Northwestern’s 175th anniversary and are meant to connect the university’s research history with new investments in collaboration and discovery.
