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Our vision is to create a distinctive new model for education that engages students in the exploration of unanswered questions about major societal challenges. Now a hallmark of the Duke experience, Bass Connections provide opportunities for applied collaborative research across the entire university.

In addition to more than 50 year-long project teams each year, there are nearly 40 semester-long courses affiliated with Bass Connections and infused with interdisciplinary, team-based learning. Four summer programs offer additional ways for students, faculty and partners to tackle complex global problems.

For some students, the experience of engaged interdisciplinary research confirms initial intellectual directions and career aspirations. For others, participation opens up entirely new paths.

Many incoming students identify Bass Connections as a key reason to attend Duke, and annual evaluations attest to the program’s impact on undergraduates’ identification of academic passions. Graduate students gain leadership and research experience in a team-based environment – important skills for careers inside and outside academia.

Many participants take their research further through grants and other opportunities within Duke and beyond. Faculty increasingly see year-long research teams as seed grants that can catalyze important research avenues and new collaborations.

Team outputs have shaped decision-making by government agencies, nonprofits and private companies, whether with regard to public health in Peru or autism therapy in local elementary schools.
 Tommy Klug

My work in Madagascar led me to work for the Sustainable Energy Transitions Initiative (SETI) based... read more about Tommy Klug » Shelley Wu

Working with a tight-knit team of motivated individuals and a professor who is at the forefront of... read more about Shelley Wu » Kirsten Bonawitz

This is a field of research that is always changing and full of mysteries—and full of collaboration... read more about Kirsten Bonawitz » Sarah Kerman

Bass Connections projects foster genuine collaboration among undergraduates, graduate students,... read more about Sarah Kerman » Kelsey Rowland

Alongside academics, NGOs and the corporate sector, we were joined by congressional staffers to... read more about Kelsey Rowland » Jacob Lennert

I consider my Bass Connections experiences invaluable in making me confident, creative and open to... read more about Jacob Lennert » Indrani Saha

My involvement with the Bass Connections program very early on in my undergraduate journey helped... read more about Indrani Saha » Kristen Collar

I learned the value of a diverse team, which enabled us to think more broadly about the question at... read more about Kristen Collar » Clara Colombatto

The type of student drawn to Bass Connections is a very independent, creative and thoughtful one.... read more about Clara Colombatto » Jun Wang

My participation in this Bass Connections project is one of the most meaningful and rewarding Duke... read more about Jun Wang » Jennifer Acosta

I joined this Bass Connections project because, growing up, I saw firsthand how many of my peers... read more about Jennifer Acosta » Eva Kim

Bass Connections allowed me to practice my “problem solving” skills in a real life setting, rather... read more about Eva Kim » Jordan Hashemi

Bass Connections has allowed me to further my research for my dissertation and to greatly improve... read more about Jordan Hashemi » Ray Li

Bass Connections is a program that has the audacity to take on the big, “so complex they’re scary”... read more about Ray Li » Lauren DaSilva

One of my favorite experiences of our Bass Connections project so far was the debate. This debate... read more about Lauren DaSilva »