Centers & Institutes

Innovation, Collaboration & Discovery

CUPA's Centers and Institutes effectively serve as the bridge between our college and the community. They provide ways for our faculty and student scholars to share their research in ways that benefit others and improve the livability of our region.  

Our centers and institutes complement our academic programs and promote applied research and scholarship, community engagement, and public service. Our centers and institutes are also strengthened by collaborations across disciplines and partnerships with other university departments. They provide vital services to community partners—from generating a report for a local nonprofit to forecasting population growth for a rural town in Eastern Oregon. Focusing on applied research and service to the community, the work they perform reflects Portland State's motto, "Let Knowledge Serve the City."

College-level Centers

• Institute of Portland Metropolitan Studies
• Institute on Aging
• Population Research Center
• Senior Adult Learning Center

Hatfield School of Government

• Center for Public Service
• Center for Women's Leadership
• Community Environmental Services
• Cybersecurity & Cyber Defense Policy Center
• Institute for Tribal Government
• National Policy Consensus Center
• Nonprofit Institute

Criminology & Criminal Justice

• Criminal Justice Policy Research Institute

Urban Studies & Planning

• Center for Urban Studies

Economics

• Institute for Economics and the Environment
• Northwest Economic Research Center

URBAN & PUBLIC AFFAIRS RESEARCH 

Our Centers & Institutes are hubs that facilitate actionable research that shapes government policies, planning, and investment. Visit our Research Page to see how we put knowledge into action and advance the university’s mission to serve the city.