Campus Centers and Institutes | Office of Research

SJSU student leader at the Cyber Girls Facebook event.

Thought Leadership. Academic Excellence.

By intentionally blurring the lines between and among disciplines, San José State ignites curiosity and fosters innovation among students, faculty members, industry partners and future employers.

Featured Centers and Institutes

Wildfire Interdisciplinary Research Center

WIRC conducts high-impact wildfire research so that improved tools and policies can be provided to the community and industry stakeholders around the world. WIRC as an interdisciplinary center is focused on both physical and social aspects of wildfire science.

Spatial Analytics and Visualization Center

SAVi uses the power of geography and Geographic Information Science to produce impactful research and professional services to serve our university departments, neighborhood organizations, public agencies and private sector entities in Silicon Valley and the Bay Area.

Young individual watching the VTA lightrail arrive.

Mineta Transportation Institute

To move is to live. The Mineta Transportation Institute aims to increase mobility for all by improving the safety, efficiency, accessibility, and convenience of our nation's transportation system. Through research, education, workforce development and technology transfer, we help create a connected world.

Ira F. Brilliant Center for Beethoven Studies

Housed in SJSU's King Library, the Beethoven Center is an extensive library and museum devoted solely to the life, works and accomplishments of Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827).

Martha Heasley Cox Center for Steinbeck Studies

Also housed in SJSU's King Library, the Steinbeck Center promotes Steinbeck’s goals of empathy and mutual understanding through public programming, free curriculum for teachers, and fellowships for emerging writers.

Center for Comparative Philosophy.

The Center for Comparative Philosophy aims to promote and enhance research and scholarship in comparative philosophy, the concerns of which cut across disciplines and areas of philosophy.

Centers and Institutes on Social Justice

Director W. Armaline and student team behind a booth.

Human Rights Institute

SJSU’s Human Rights Institute specializes in human rights research, journalism, and policy design. HRI students and faculty study pressing social problems and work with community organizations, stakeholders, and policy makers to inform and design solutions according to relevant scholarship, human rights law, and international best practices.

Three young girls sitting in front of a laptop.

Institute for Emancipatory Education

The IEE facilitates community-engaged research and advances emancipatory pedagogies that support the redesign of learning from preschool through post-secondary. The IEE also supports the development of equitable and inclusive educational systems that nurture the creativity and brilliance of all learners so that our diverse, democratic society can truly thrive.

John Delacruz teaches Advertising in Dwight Bentel Hall.

Full List of San José State University Centers and Institutes (by College)

Research, scholarship, creative activity, education, and public service are recognized as vital components of the academic mission of San José State University. These can involve the lone scholar, the collaborative effort of a team, or a large but coordinated group. Because of the diverse ways in which these activities may be carried on, Centers and Institutes (CCI) established within the university are recognized as efficient means to fulfill these functions. San José State University has nearly 30 CCI that partner industry with academic research to enhance technology, encourage the development of new products, and improve education.

Centers and Institutes Administrative Resources

Establishing a New Center or Institute

Review the guidelines to request the creation of a new center or institute.

Explore the CCI Toolkit

Reporting Requirements for Centers and Institutes

Acquaint yourself with the annual report and seven-year review processes.

Terminating a Center or Institute

Review the procedure to terminate a center or institute.