Three thematic multidisciplinary research communities operate within the Faculty:
The research communities are interlinked by two conceptual perspectives. 'Knowledge, power and influence' covers topics ranging from the development of information society to the structures of political and societal power, as well as actions taken by different actors to influence such structures. Creating impact through knowledge is foundational to critical expertise and professionalism.
'Place, distance and the social' refers to the north and northernness from geographical perspectives, but also to various cultural and temporal distances. They play a role in structuring and organisation of communities, service production, and human well-being. Understanding tensions between sense of community and distance is, in many ways, present in the research conducted within the Faculty.