As a global leader in arts and design, the Rhode Island School of Design supports faculty and students to work side-by-side with researchers at colleges and universities across the state. Innovative programming in collaboration with Rhode Island EPSCoR centers arts-based practices and mindsets within larger projects exploring scientific inquiry and research.
Current Projects
Latest News
RISD’s Loop Lab highlighted in Cell Press - An initiative of the Edna W. Lawrence Nature Lab, Loop Lab is a centralized hub for material recycling at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), with a mission to turn campus waste streams into no-cost materials for student use.
NSF and Carnegie Corporation Support Groundbreaking Research at RISD - As universities across the US grapple with funding cuts for ongoing research projects, the National Science Foundation (NSF) and private backers are widening the scope of their investments to include Emerging Research Institutions (ERIs) like RISD. ERIs are defined as institutions of higher education with research programs that operate with limited federal funding. 
Research Scientists Use Art to Express Complex Ideas at Vis-a-thon 2025 in RISD’s Nature Lab - How can art help scientists explain the mechanisms that allow bats to change course mid-flight? Would an interactive sculptural installation encourage kids to take an interest in the “drumming signals” local woodpeckers use to communicate? Is it possible to make art explaining the concept of undersea quasi-permanence and the impact of ocean movement on coral reefs?
NSF Funds Research Collaboration between RISD and Partner Institutions - The National Science Foundation (NSF) recently awarded a $4 million Equitable Nature-Based Climate Solutions (ENACTS) grant for a four-year stormwater management project that will be conducted collaboratively at RISD, the University of Rhode Island, the University of New Hampshire, and the University of Louisville (KY).
Student Success
Nico Moody and Stephanie Van Riet continue their VIS-A-THON project by creating a giant canvas display imitating woodpecker wings at Audubon in Smithfield.
RISD undergrad Tianyu Zhang turns recycled plastics into design materials as a researcher in the RI-NEST SURF program.
Faculty Spotlight
Want to learn more, join our community and offer your unique perspective on RI NSF EPSCoR and programs like RI-NEST?
RI NSF EPSCoR is supported in part by the U.S. National Science Foundation under EPSCoR Cooperative Agreements #OIA-2433276 and in part by the RI Commerce Corporation via the Science and Technology Advisory Committee [STAC]. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. National Science Foundation, the RI Commerce Corporation, STAC, our partners or our collaborators.