Clayton's research is at the intersection of entrepreneurship and innovation, science and technology policy, and economic development. Key themes include entrepreneurial support organizations, social network analysis, entrepreneurial ecosystems, university technology transfer, research & development, and institutions, and the connections between these factors which help support local entrepreneurship and innovation. Her research has been published in Research Policy, Small Business Economics, Industrial & Corporate Change, Academy of Management Perspectives, the Journal of Technology Transfer, Journal of Business Venturing Insights, and others.