About Research at Dartmouth

At Dartmouth, teaching and research are inextricably linked. Dartmouth offers undergraduate students a rigorous curriculum at the forefront of higher education and, as recognized by the Carnegie Foundation as a "research university with very high research activity," Dartmouth faculty pursue research at the highest levels of their disciplines.

Dartmouth is home to world-class scholars in the Faculty of Arts & Sciences, the Thayer School of Engineering, the Tuck School of Business, and the Dartmouth Medical School-which itself has strong ties to the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Clinic and the Mary Hitchcock Memorial Hospital. In addition, many academic centers and institutes bring faculty and students together to focus on research areas that cut across traditional school and disciplinary lines. A large and growing number of undergraduate students – more than 1,000 at last count – conduct independent study through one-on-one supervision with a faculty member or work as a member of a research group in state-of-the-art facilities. This experience is supported by scholarships overseen by the Undergraduate Research Office, as well as by extramural research funding secured by individual faculty members. These opportunities enrich the undergraduate experience, support the activities of the faculty, and provide a mechanism that effectively removes the distinction between teaching and research at Dartmouth.

An important aspect of scholarship and research is outreach. Dartmouth facilitates faculty and student outreach through activities that communicate the relevance of their work to public policy and to projects that promote public interest, understanding, and involvement in complex issues facing society. These outreach activities include national and regional efforts, such as serving on government appointed committees, working with professional organizations and leading national consortia. Outreach is a two-way process; Dartmouth also hosts thought-leaders who interact with students, faculty and the local community through colloquia, seminars, workshops and individual meetings. Dartmouth also encourages and facilitates entrepreneurial activities that help faculty and students realize the potential of their research.

This seamless approach to teaching and scholarship is an enduring characteristic of Dartmouth that engenders academic excellence and independence within a culture of collaboration.