His research centers on scientific data visualization, virtual reality, and 3D user interfaces. Keefe’s awards include the National Science Foundation CAREER award; the University of Minnesota Guillermo E. Borja Award for research and scholarly accomplishments; the University of Minnesota McKnight Land-Grant Professorship; and the 3M Non-tenured Faculty Award. His research has been funded by the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, the National Academies Keck Futures Initiative, and industry sponsors.