The Institute for Global and International Studies' mission is to foster intellectual exchange and collaborative research on international and global studies, including international organizations and law, trade regimes, international development, security, U.S. foreign policy, global governance, and the links between all of these. The Institute particularly supports research that "brings practice to theory" by focusing on challenges that real world problems pose to disciplinary debates, spurring theoretical innovation. It sponsors a variety of related events, forums, and funding opportunities related to its goals.