Research activities at the Institute are broad, reflecting the range of scholarship on women and gender being pursued by University of Michigan faculty, researchers and students. Research projects develop in a variety of ways:
Coordination of Existing Research Activities. Although there is substantial ongoing research on women and gender issues at the University of Michigan, the decentralized nature of research activity makes it difficult for scholars studying related problems to identify one another, collaborate on research, or cooperate in seeking funding or visibility for their studies. The Institute identifies ongoing research efforts on women and gender, and fosters interdisciplinary dialogue in these areas by sponsoring seminars and working groups.
Stimulation of New Research. Some significant research questions about women and gender are not being explored extensively at the University of Michigan. An important function of the Institute is the identification of important research areas in which research at the University of Michigan is just beginning. The Institute then encourages new research initiatives in those areas through external speakers and visiting scholars, seminars of works-in-progress, and "seed money" to encourage new ventures.
Multicultural and International Focus. This Institute builds on a strong multicultural and international foundation, with ties both to ethnic studies programs on campus and to the International Institute.
Links between the Liberal Arts and ProfessionaI Schools. Unlike many areas of academic scholarship, research on women and gender has always retained a strong preoccupation with the real world, particularly the real situation of women. This Institute offers a unique approach to this concern with the real world, by increasing the existing, unusual ties between the liberal arts and professional schools.
Communication of Research and Theory about Women and Gender. There is a gap between complex research findings and conceptual frameworks, and public discourse on policy-related questions, in all research areas. One of the central goals of the Institute is effective communication of empirical and theoretical breakthroughs to the public through a planned program of events and activities reaching audiences beyond the university community.