The character of the department is determined by its research prowess; research is at the core of our distinctive identity.

Research is organised into four clusters, two each in Human and Physical Geography:

Centre for Research in Identity, Governance, Society (CRIS)

Centre for Hydrological and Ecosystem Science (CHES)

Polar and Alpine Research Centre (PARC)

Research Clusters in Human Geography

Human Geographers at Loughborough share a commitment to critical geographical scholarship, pedagogy and practice. They delight in ‘turning the world upside down’ by undermining state-centric metageographies, exclusionary narratives of identity and belonging, and Eurocentric interpretations of the world, working with cutting-edge critical theories to develop new geographies. This challenging analysis is expressed in two forms: the department has a long-term reputation for critical studies in social and cultural geography now represented by research on identity, community and society; and it has an international reputation for its world cities studies.

Research Clusters in Physical Geography

Research in physical geography at Loughborough is concerned primarily with environmental dynamics in space and time. Research activity takes place within two main clusters, Centre for Hydrological and Ecosystem Science and Alpine and Polar Research.

Within both clusters, water-related research is a major focus. However, recent staff appointments in the last five years have strengthened and diversified the Department’s expertise in sedimentary processes and modelling whilst acknowledging its long-standing investment in hydroecology. The appointment of new staff has broadened the Department's activity to include environmental problems in lakes and estuaries, terrestrial ecosystems as well as a focus on Arctic environments and processes.

A characteristic of Loughborough’s physical geographers is research that crosses the boundaries of traditional subject compartments. New appointments have strengthened and diversified these multidisciplinary linkages: there is research activity at terrestrial-marine, aeolian-fluvial and riverine sediment-organism interfaces.