Our Mission

The primary mission of the University Committee for Interdisciplinary Studies (UCIS) is to encourage and facilitate interactions on scholarly topics cutting across traditional boundaries between departments and schools. UCIS clusters should exploit pre-existing and new centers of excellence within the University to develop new areas of scholarship.

UCIS has enriched University activities in both the sciences and humanities for over 25 years. The Provost now funds 21 UCIS clusters in the sciences and humanities with a remarkable range of activities throughout the year,

Clusters submit annual reports that are assessed each year by a standing steering committee. Criteria for successful clusters include the following:

• UCIS cluster programs must be highly interdisciplinary. Cluster members must represent multiple departments and at least two schools within the University.
• UCIS funds are not meant to supplement normal departmental activities such as seminar programs, speaker series or graduate student activities. These funds should be viewed as seed money for creative initiatives that aim to generate interdisciplinary centers of excellence an enhance scholarly activity on campus.
• Clusters' activities enhance both research activities and have curricular value to undergraduate and graduate students.
• Cluster funds should not be used to directly fund or supplement the research programs of individual faculty or students.
• Honorariums greater than $1,500 need to be approved.
• UCIS funds cannot be used to support travel costs to for UR faculty or students to conferences.

Please contact us if you have an idea for a new cluster.

Guidelines for Submitting Your Annual UCIS Cluster Report

Guidelines for Proposing a UCIS Cluster