RISD Research sustains the school’s culture of inquiry by offering a platform for research initiatives, providing opportunities for programming, training, and publication, and encouraging collaboration among students and faculty.

RISD recognizes that discovery and experimentation are critical for meaningful work in the arts and for realizing the significance of art and design in the world. The institution's focus on fine, design, and liberal arts, the excellence of its faculty and student body, and its compact size all facilitate diverse types of research and partnership that contribute new insight and advance practice through exploration of materials, techniques, contexts and ideas.

RISD Research and Strategic Partnerships are departments within the Office of the Vice Provost for Strategic Partnerships, which supports faculty and students in expanding their practices through external grants and partnership. This Office also oversees the Center for Complexity at Rhode Island School of Design (RISD): a platform for transdisciplinary collaboration and innovation, informed by global events and creative practices, founded to benefit scholars, practitioners, a diverse range of partners, and the RISD community.