Based on the success of the Interdisciplinary Clusters in the Humanities and Non-Quantitative Social Sciences and the wealth of interdisciplinary work already being done at Northwestern, in 2008 the university began funding Interdisciplinary Clusters in the Sciences and Engineering. Taking advantage of cross-departmental working groups already in place, and introducing new ones, the Interdisciplinary Clusters in Engineering and the Life, Physical, and Quantitative Social Sciences are on the cutting edge, bringing together faculty and students from many fields to work on some of the most important and interesting scientific problems of our time.

Affiliating with a Cluster

First-year students are invited to take part in the symposia, work groups, and colloquia offered by all of the clusters to see what will interest them later in their career. At the end of their first year, students will apply to a cluster. Those accepted, beginning in year two (typically) will take part in a training program that will bring them together with students of many other disciplines with a shared interest in the cluster’s area of inquiry. These classes, specifically designed for the clusters, will complement the electives offered by departments and offer the opportunity to expand students’ methodological abilities and let them more readily focus on their area of interest. There will also be cluster specific project requirements, though these will usually be tied to departmental projects.  The fellowship offers no additional funding or requirements to the student, but signals the cluster faculty’s belief that the student has the necessary interest and ability to become a leader in the field.

Beyond the first two years, cluster students may choose to work with faculty outside of their programs and are encouraged to continue their affiliation through colloquia and seminars. We believe one of the most beneficial aspects of this program is how it can expand a student’s circle of intellectual peers, friends and colleagues who can provide ideas and support as students move to the research and dissertation phase. As Dean Wachtel says, “The more people you have to support your work, the better. With this plan, students will know more people that have similar research interests to their own and the network will be that much stronger and the chances for success that much greater.”

We encourage you to look at the websites for the clusters below to see how they can help you in your academic development.