The Center for Urban Studies is building its research agenda by focusing on several core topical areas that build on the combined expertise and experience of its key staff. As often as possible, service activities are linked to research opportunities.

These research areas are:

• Research and evaluation, which gathers primary data through a variety of data collection techniques and provides clients and scholars with state-of-the-art methodologies for their research projects.
• Early childhood and disabilities, which evaluates programs and conducts performance measures geared to improve the lives of people, including children and students, with developmental delay or disabilities.
• Healthy Homes, which supports eliminating housing-based health hazards for at-risk populations through research, performance management systems and facilitation.
  • DLEAD
• Urban safety, which works with community organizations and government agencies on collaborative projects that address persistent public safety-related issues.
• AmeriCorps Urban Safety (AMUS), which is currently executing the expansion of a successful crime reduction model that uses CompStat with AmeriCorps neighborhood organizing.
• Overdose prevention aims to STOP (Strategies and Tools for Overdose Prevention) overdose deaths and reduce harms related to opioids by building collaborative partnerships, conducting academic research, and delivering community-based interventions.  
  • AmeriCorps Community Training for overdose rescue (ACT) is a program of the STOP unit that prepares community members in Southeast Michigan to provide emergency aid during an overdose to help save lives. 
• Climate READY, opportunity for youth (ages 18-24) to engage in outdoor recreation and the natural environment, while supporting residents in becoming climate change resilient.
• Urban and community health, which engages in interdisciplinary and community participatory research and evaluation that impact the health and mental health of the local community.