The Center for New North Carolinians | Research

Research

Our mission is to strengthen immigrant and refugee communities through participatory research, evaluation, community education, and engagement, achieved through our dedicated Fellows program.

Explore Past Fellows Projects

Commitment to Ethical Research

As with many systemically marginalized communities, refugees and immigrants are accustomed to “extractive” research and engagement, often exemplified by a drive-by volunteer or researcher who appears among them for a short time to fulfill a course requirement, conduct a study or to fulfill some other professional obligation only to then abruptly depart without attention to reciprocity. Repetitions of this dynamic erode trust with those affiliated, working, or researching with these communities. It is incumbent on practitioners and researchers to clearly articulate their investment capacity, intentions, and responsibilities to the community. At minimum, this entails ethically communicating mutual expectations and timelines, including entry and exit strategies, to avoid perpetuating the harm of extractive approaches.

Resettlement agencies and non-profit organization staff are not gatekeepers of these communities, but rather service providers who work with, alongside, and for immigrant and refugee communities. Service provider relationships create a power dynamic that is not to be exploited. An introduction facilitated by agency/organization staff between communities of interest and researchers or practitioners is not an unconditional endorsement of a project. Community members ultimately have the autonomy to choose if, when, and under what circumstances they engage in research/engagement.

CNNC Fellows have developed this rubric with the aim to suggest and encourage best practices for reciprocity and power-sharing between researchers and communities. These questions are not meant solely for vetting, but to encourage reflection about best practices for ethical engagement with immigrant and refugee communities. As a living document, this rubric is a starting point that may evolve in conversation with communities.

Research Considerations

CNNC Fellows Program

The Center for New North Carolinians (CNNC) Fellows are community-based academics, professionals, and practitioners who undertake community-based research, advocacy, education, outreach, and practice related to refugees and immigrants in the state of North Carolina. The CNNC Fellows program began in 2001 as a small group but has now grown to a network of approximately 50 people. The mission of the group is to support the CNNC’s work by strengthening immigrant and refugee communities through participatory research, evaluation, community education and engagement. CNNC Fellows seek to center community interests and goals in these endeavors. Fellows represent several communities, organizations, agencies, and institutions of higher education.

The Fellows meet monthly during the academic year to share and network with other Fellows around immigrant research, teaching, policy, and practice interests. Fellows are also expected to join one of the subcommittees; these subcommittees meet together to work on a tangible contribution to work surrounding the immigrant community and report to the larger group. Subcommittees work in the areas of: Research and Policy, Cocurricular and Professional Development, and Community Engagement. Fellows may develop their individual projects in consultation with colleagues, provide feedback through a list serve, participate in related professional and academic gatherings, present on their findings at CNNC sponsored conferences at UNCG and elsewhere, sometimes submit collaborative funding proposals or jointly-authored manuscripts, and further disseminate their findings through additional venues as appropriate.

Fellows strive to assure that programs and interventions with immigrant and refugee communities are committed to full and equal engagement of participants and to practices that lead toward full and equitable integration of newcomers.

The CNNC Fellows Program is open to anyone with research, work, or interest related to immigrants and refugees in North Carolina.

Fill out a CNNC Fellows Interest Form

I agree to attend and participate actively in CNNC fellows meetings.
I agree to actively participate and contribute to subcommittee meetings and projects.
I agree to invest about 5 hours/month to the fellows program, including a 1.5 hour monthly meeting and about 2.5 hours outside of meetings.
I agree to be willing to share results of my research and interests with other fellows.
I agree to provide an audience and feedback for the research and projects of others.
I agree to abide by the CNNC Fellows Ethics Statement.

Receive a letter of appointment from UNCG Vice-Chancellor for Research and Engagement Dr. Sherine Obare which is valid for two years.
The opportunity to represent the Fellows in meetings and conferences.
Opportunities for networking, collaboration, and presentation of your work with other Fellows.

The CNNC Fellows Program’s mission is to strengthen immigrant and refugee communities through participatory research, evaluation, community education and engagement.
Our activities will center the needs of the community and occur in partnership with communities as stakeholders and decision makers.
In our individual and collective work, including our meetings, we aim to nurture an environment of respect, reflection, transparency, and accountability.
We safeguard the confidentiality of private information shared in the meetings and aim to be attentive to issues of power and privilege that may arise in these settings.

Interested in becoming a fellow? Fill out our interest form.

The CNNC Fellows Advisory Group consists of the following members:

Cathryn B. Bennett, PhD: Visiting Assistant Professor of Justice and Policy Studies, Guilford College [email protected]
Rob Cassell: Center for New North Carolinians Director, UNC-Greensboro [email protected]
Leslie Cofie, PhD: Assistant Professor of Health Education and Promotion, East Carolina University jmdharo [email protected]
Jigna Dahrod, PhD: Associate Professor of Nutrition, UNC-Greensboro [email protected]
Jeremy Rinker, PhD: Associate Professor/Department Chair for Peace and Conflict Studies, UNC-Greensboro [email protected]
Leilani Roughton: New Arrivals Institute Executive Director [email protected]