Often cited as one of the most important issues facing the U.S. and countries across the globe, immigration raises complex issues about identity, culture, economics, social services, health care and security. 

Three new Bass Connections project teams starting this spring will tackle research related to immigration. Applications will be accepted through December 10 at 11:59 p.m. and will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Follow the links below for more information on each project team and how to apply.

Biometrics and Immigration Policy

This project team will examine how the U.S. collects and uses immigrants’ biometric data as well as the ethical tensions underlying the imperative to balance national security alongside the rights of migrants.

Migration and Deportation among Guatemalans in the U.S. and Guatemala

This project team will examine the Guatemalan deportation crisis from multiple dimensions – both from the perspective of recent deportees in Guatemala City and from the perspective of North Carolina’s Guatemalan (and larger Latin American immigrant) community currently experiencing day-to-day life in a climate of mass deportation.

The U.S. Immigration Climate and Mental Health Outcomes of Latinx Immigrants

This project team will examine the impact of the current U.S. immigration climate on the mental health outcomes of Latinx immigrants living in North Carolina from 2017-2020 through integrating data from a Duke School of Nursing study with immigration-related media resources.

Why Immigration?

These three project teams are the result of a special call for proposals related to immigration that was announced in August 2019. While the five interdisciplinary themes of Bass Connections support a broad range of research related to persistent societal challenges, these themes are not all-encompassing, and we recognize the need to respond nimbly to new challenges confronting society. As a result, in 2018, Bass Connections launched its first “pop-up theme,” focused on hurricane recovery and resilience with a specific focus on the local impacts of Hurricane Florence. The goal of this second pop-up theme is to support teams examining the social, political and economic issues related to immigration.

Wondering About Additional 2020-2021 Project Teams?

New project teams that will begin in Summer or Fall 2020 will be posted on January 8. Applications will open on January 24 and will be due by February 14 at 5:00 p.m.

Students can learn more about new project teams by talking to team leaders at the Bass Connections Fair on January 24.

Learn More

• Check out how project teams work.
• Consult our Student FAQs.
• Learn about the project team experience through stories from students.