NHMU’s Research Quest Celebrates 10-Year Anniversary and 1 Million Learning Sessions

Locally Developed Educator Resource Used by Teachers Worldwide   

SALT LAKE CITY, March 13, 2026 – The Natural History Museum of Utah’s (NHMU) free, award-winning online educator resource, Research Quest, recently celebrated two noteworthy milestones — its 10-year anniversary and its 1 millionth learning session.  

The concept of Research Quest arose in 2013 when NHMU partnered with the Joseph and Evelyn Rosenblatt Charitable Fund to explore ways to advance the critical thinking skills of middle school students. At that time, the museum housed more than 1 million objects curated and studied by scientists in collections that were not accessible to the public. It was clear the museum had rich resources to help students explore the natural sciences beyond what they had access to in their classrooms. What remained was finding an effective way to deliver those resources beyond the museum’s walls and into classrooms across Utah. 

To figure that out, NHMU — with critical support from the Rosenblatt Fund, the I.J. and Jeanne Wagner Foundation, and other partners — teamed up with University of Utah researchers, K-12 teachers, curriculum developers, game designers, and digital learning professionals. Together, they identified the core components of critical thinking and developed an effective model of digital learning. A concept for an online classroom tool soon emerged, and, following multiple rounds of prototyping, what is now called Research Quest was first made available to teachers in February 2016. 

At its launch, Research Quest offered teachers and students three web-based science investigations exploring real-world research happening at NHMU and a world-famous dinosaur site in Utah. Now, a decade later, students can access 15 unique investigations from three science disciplines: ecology, paleontology and archaeology. Based on collections housed at NHMU, and built in collaboration with scientists studying them, Research Quest lets students explore topics such as the evolution of dinosaurs, the use of synthetic materials by ancient civilizations, and survival strategies within biodiverse ecosystems, and many others — putting to use the same critical thinking skills used by researchers.  

Each Research Quest investigation features an introductory video with a scientist working in the related science field who presents a scientific question to be investigated. Following that introduction, students delve into available evidence from digital museum collections, 3D models, and real data to develop hypotheses. They might examine a fossilized dinosaur jaw, analyze aerial photos of forests, or perform a virtual bat dissection. Along the way, students document their evidence and reasoning in interactive Research Quest notebooks, then collaborate with classmates, and build arguments rooted in scientific thinking.   

“We didn’t want to recreate a physical museum experience but rather create cognitive experiences in which students meet scientists and examine museum collections. We spent years collaborating with researchers at the University of Utah to get these investigations built in ways that were well scaffolded for teachers and easy for students to enjoy,” said Madlyn Larson, NHMU’s associate director of education initiatives, who leads Research Quest.   

In the 10 years since its launch, Research Quest has far surpassed its goal of bringing NHMU’s science into Utah’s classrooms. Reaching all of Utah’s counties came relatively easily once teachers learned of the value, fun, and ease of use of the online lessons. And now, Research Quest has gone global: museum staff are celebrating its use in classrooms on every continent except Antarctica. Research Quest user logins have occurred across the United States and in countries such as Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, Trinidad, Vietnam, the U.K., the United Arab Emirates and Kenya, just to name a few. To date, 735,000 logins have been recorded worldwide with an expected 1.5 students served per login, based on NHMU’s study of classroom use. That’s 1,093,500 student experiences served worldwide by this tool developed by NHMU. 

“Research Quest takes students away from boredom and apathy and puts them in the driver's seat as an archeologist or fossil expert. I love watching my students stoke their imagination to spawn unique ideas to explain various mysteries,” said Mike Sumner, a science teacher and longtime Research Quest user at Tooele Junior High School in Tooele, Utah. “Whether students reach consensus or are left in open debate about their competing explanations, Research Quest isn't just another virtual lab with a worksheet, it is an adventure in science.” 

As Research Quest celebrates these milestones, its team continues refining the resources and charting a course for translating its investigations into new languages. They recently published Research Quest’s 15^th investigation — one that teams students up with international researchers from the jungles of Central and South America for a phenomenon-based investigation into the unique relationships within biodiverse ecosystems. As with all other Research Quest investigations, this one offers a fascinating context for the lesson: an examination of patterns of cooperation and the roles of different organisms in fungus farming ant colonies. 

“Congratulations to the NHMU Team for 10 amazing years of Research Quest investigations!  As educators who have integrated these investigations into our curriculum, we have witnessed firsthand the rigor of authentic scientific inquiry, critical thinking, and data analysis for our students,” said Lynn Gutzwiller, a science specialist with Jordan School District in Utah who has been using Research Quest for 10 years. “Here’s to many more years of helping students discover the incredible mysteries of the world around us.”  

Research Quest is made possible by generous support from the Joseph and Evelyn Rosenblatt Charitable Fund, the IJ and Jeanné Wagner Foundation, and the Dick and Timmy Burton Foundation. Their ongoing support, combined with a generous grant from the Utah Department of Workforce Services’ Utah Cluster Acceleration Partnership program, funding from the Utah State Legislature’s Informal Science Education Enhancement program, and grants from the National Science Foundation, have allowed Research Quest to become a valued teaching resource for teachers and students throughout Utah and across the U.S. 

“Research Quest has been pivotal in advancing our strategic goals of ‘Leading with Science’ and ‘Connecting with People,’ not only in Utah but around the world”, said Dr. Jason Cryan, NHMU’s Sarah B. George Executive Director. “Through Research Quest, an innovative and curiosity-inspiring education tool, the museum’s natural and cultural history collections are now at work teaching students around the globe.” 

Learn more about Research Quest and how it benefits students by visiting ResearchQuest.org. There, teachers everywhere can sign up for a free account and lead their students into fascinating investigations of the natural sciences. If you are interested in contributing to expand Research Quest and innovative classroom learning, email Madlyn Larson.  

About Research Quest 

Launched in 2016 by the Natural History Museum of Utah, Research Quest is an award-winning digital learning platform that brings authentic scientific investigation into classrooms nationwide. Designed in collaboration with museum scientists and educators, Research Quest invites students to think and work like researchers — collecting and analyzing real data, examining digitized museum collections, and tackling compelling, standards-aligned research questions in the natural sciences. Now celebrating its 10th anniversary, Research Quest has engaged more than one million students and their teachers across the United States and beyond. Beginning with three pioneering investigations and expanding to 15 interactive investigations, the program advances student-driven inquiry, critical thinking, and scientific literacy while broadening access to museum research and collections beyond the museum's walls. 

About the Natural History Museum of Utah

The Natural History Museum of Utah is one of the leading scientific research and cultural institutions in the country. Established in 1963, the museum’s 10 permanent exhibitions are anchored by its state-of-the-art collections and research facilities containing almost 2 million objects. These collections are used in studies on geological, biological, and cultural diversity, and the history of living systems and human cultures within the Utah region. The museum hosts approximately 300,000 general visitors a year and provides one of the most spectacular private event settings in the Salt Lake City area. NHMU also broadens the reach of its mission through a variety of science-based outreach programs to communities and schools throughout Utah, reaching every school district in the state every other year.