Bass Connections
Bass Connections is a university-wide academic program that brings together faculty, postdocs, graduate/professional students, and undergraduates to explore societal challenges in interdisciplinary research teams. Past teams have tackled a wide array of challenges, ranging from improving educational outcomes for children in Durham, to developing strategies for using American forests and wetlands as carbon sinks, to improving neurosurgery outcomes in Uganda.
Bass Connections includes:
Year-Long Research Teams in which graduate students have the opportunity to receive academic credit or compensation while also gaining experience in applied research, project management, and leading teams
Summer Research Programs in which graduate students serve as mentors for teams of undergraduate students conducting research projects
Semester-Long Courses in which graduate students can gain expertise in addressing complex societal problems and teamwork
Student Research Grants that provide funding for student-driven research projects—collaborative or individual
Course Development Grants that provide support for doctoral students to work with faculty to design courses that integrate collaborative project-based work as a central element of course design
For graduate students, the benefits of participating in Bass Connections include:
Enhancing dissertation or master’s thesis research
Coauthoring publications
Deepening relationships with faculty
Gaining experience in project management and leading teams
Building career-enhancing skills to stand out on the job market
Networking with colleagues in diverse fields
Getting experience mentoring others, particularly undergraduates
Gaining opportunities for possible funding
Each year, Bass Connections hosts more than sixty year-long research teams, forty summer research teams, and approximately forty courses. For more information on Bass Connections and how to get involved, visit bassconnections.duke.edu. For examples of graduate students who have participated, visit bassconnections.duke.edu/student-resources/student-stories.