Bass Connections occasionally issues special calls for proposals focused on emerging issues of societal importance — otherwise known as “pop-up” themes. These themes bring together interdisciplinary teams to address timely questions, complex challenges and growing public concerns. By creating space to respond to changing circumstances and evolving societal needs, pop-up themes allow Bass Connections to support collaborative inquiry that crosses geographic, disciplinary and institutional boundaries.
Past pop-up themes have yielded research teams related to hurricane recovery and resilience, immigration, the COVID-19 pandemic, strengthening democracy in a polarized world, Duke’s centennial and geopolitical conflict and humanitarian crises in the Middle East and beyond.
Past Pop-Up Themes
Geopolitical Conflict and Humanitarian Crises in the Middle East and Beyond (2024-2025)
Responding to the growing urgency of global conflict and humanitarian crises, nine pop-up teams investigated questions of war, displacement, recovery and justice from a wide range of disciplinary perspectives — from public health and engineering to religious studies and political science.