Research takes place in the three faculty research institutes. The institutes are engaged in different fields of research and develop their own research programme every five years. Each is headed by a director.

• Centre for Language and Cognition Groningen (CLCG) for research in the field of linguistics
• Groningen Research Institute for the Study of Culture (ICOG) for research in history, art history, literature, and the intellectual, political, literary and artistic culture
  Groningen
• Institute of Archaeology (GIA) for research in the field of archaeology

Most researchers participate in one of the faculty research institutes.