Research Organizations

The Ethnic Geography Specialty Group (EGSG) promotes the common interests of scholars and professionals researching ethnic and immigrant geography and provides a forum for the exchange of ideas within the American Association of Geographers (AAG). The EGSG facilitates the sharing of diverse ideas and information among its members and others interested in ethnic and immigrant geography; stimulates research, pedagogy, and applications in ethnic and immigration geography; aids in the advancement of its members and of the field of ethnic and immigration geography; represents ethnic and immigrant geography within geography as a whole and with other related disciplines as well as the general public; and maintains relations with cognate organizations.

The purpose of the Migration and Citizenship Section of the American Political Science Association is to bring together political scientists working on issues of migration and citizenship, promote teaching and research in the field, and encourage communication among political scientists and scholars of migration and citizenship in related disciplines, including policy and other professionals, domestically and internationally.

The purpose of the Section on International Migration of the American Sociological Association is to foster the development of the sociological study of international migration through organized meetings, conferences, newsletters, publications, awards, and other means deemed appropriate by the Council of the Section.

The Center for Comparative Immigration Studies (CCIS) at UC San Diego was established in March 1999 under the leadership of Dr. Wayne Cornelius. Today, CCIS has become an independent research unit at UCSD and has further continued to grow its outreach and research dissemination capabilities, academic programs and research portfolio. CCIS has become a recognized institutional home for high quality academic scholarship and policy-oriented research on all aspects related to international migration. CCIS is the only academic center in the United States specializing in international migration from a broad geographical as well as interdisciplinary perspective, devoting substantial attention to migrant-sending and receiving countries in North America, Europe, Africa, and the Asia-Pacific region.

The Center for Comparative Immigration Studies (CCIS) at UC San Diego was established in March 1999 under the leadership of Dr. Wayne Cornelius. Today, CCIS has become an independent research unit at UCSD and has further continued to grow its outreach and research dissemination capabilities, academic programs and research portfolio. CCIS has become a recognized institutional home for high quality academic scholarship and policy-oriented research on all aspects related to international migration. CCIS is the only academic center in the United States specializing in international migration from a broad geographical as well as interdisciplinary perspective, devoting substantial attention to migrant-sending and receiving countries in North America, Europe, Africa, and the Asia-Pacific region.

The Center for Forced Migration Studies at Northwestern University seeks to contribute to our understanding of refugee protection through research, documentation, education and public outreach concerning the condition and realities of refugee movement across state borders to avoid the risk of harm and settlement in host countries, the underlying social disfranchisement, and the international community's response to refugee needs.

Established in 2011, the Center for Global Migration Studies at the University of Maryland is an interdisciplinary home for the study of migration and immigration around the world both today and in the past. Previously the Center for the History of the New America, the Center's name was changed in 2016 to reflect its increasing emphasis on peoples moving around the globe. The Center provides a distinctive institutional home for interdisciplinary research, for training faculty and students, and for distributing information about the migrant experience to a broad public.

The Center for Immigration Research at the University of Houston is comprised of researchers at the University of Houston, as well as other local institutions, whose research is focused on the examination of immigration trends and related international and national immigration policy. The Center serves as a resource for immigration data for local institutions, organizations and policy-makers involved with the settlement and incorporation of America's "new immigrants" into their communities. The Center’s activities include sponsoring an annual speaker series at the University of Houston on immigration issues.

The Center for Migration Research at the University of Kansas promotes, coordinates, and facilitates innovative high-quality interdisciplinary research on how human migration both shapes and is shaped by the social landscapes in which it takes place at the local, regional, national, and global levels. The Center strives to generate research-based knowledge that addresses pressing societal concerns and provides guidance for policy interventions.

The Center for Migration Studies of New York (CMS) is a think tank and an educational institute devoted to the study of international migration, to the promotion of understanding between immigrants and receiving communities, and to public policies that safeguard the dignity and rights of migrants, refugees and newcomers. It carries out its mission in five principal ways: Publication of journals (including the International Migration Review and the Journal on Migration and Human Security), essays, conference proceedings and other papers; Sponsorship of conferences, meetings, briefings, symposia and dialogues; Production of evidence-based, policy-relevant research; Provision of expert support to faith-based institutions; and Maintenance of an extensive archive with collections that cover the history of immigration in the United States. CMS works with policy-makers on international, regional, national and local levels; scholars and researchers; faith-based groups; non-governmental and community-based organizations; and other civil society groups. It enjoys consultative status at the United Nations, and regularly participates and intervenes in UN processes.

The Mission of the Center for Research on Migration & Refugee Integration at the University of Utah is to advance the science and practice of effective two-way integration informed by an understanding of the global context of the immigration phenomenon and the lived-experiences of newly arriving populations. Utah stands out as a resettlement site for refugees from around the world, yet there has been relatively little research about its success and the ever-changing needs of its diverse immigrant communities. In 2015 a group of representatives from invested community agencies, academic institutions, and state offices began work to design an entity responsible for addressing this deficit. As a result, in 2016, the Center for Research on Migration & Refugee Integration (CRMRI) was launched. Housed within the University of Utah College of Social Work, the Center’s charge was to collaborate with community and university partners to focus on applied and current research addressing issues confronting refugee and immigrant communities in Utah and across the Intermountain West.

The mission of the Center for the Study of Immigrant Integration (CSII) at the University of Southern California is to remake the narrative for understanding, and to shape the dialogue, on immigrant integration in America. CSII intends to identify and evaluate the mutual benefits of immigrant integration for the native-born and immigrants and to study the pace of the ongoing transformation in different locations, not only in the past and present but projected into the future. CSII brings together three emphases: scholarship that draws on academic theory and rigorous research, data that provides information structured to highlight the process of immigrant integration over time, and engagement that seeks to create new dialogues with government, community organizers, business and civic leaders, immigrants and the voting public.

The Consortium for Latino Immigration Studies at the University of South Carolina promotes and coordinates interdisciplinary and transnational research on the experiences of Latino/as in South Carolina and the Southeast. The Consortium also disseminates research findings and other information on Hispanic/Latino issues to academic and non-academic users through such venues as conferences, symposia, workshops and publications, and fosters application and translation of such findings into practice and policy. Further, the Consortium encourages and supports teaching related to Latinos, and collaborates with local communities as well as organizations and government agencies that are involved with the state's growing Latino population. Through its various activities the Consortium fulfills the University's mission to promote the wellbeing and improve the quality of life for all state residents.

The Immigrant Access Project (IAP) is a research collaborative at the University of South Carolina that conducts research on immigration and questions of social inclusion; immigrant-serving organizations; social services and social citizenship; and documentation.

The vision of Immigrant and Refugee Research Institute (IRRI) at the University of Buffalo is to create and share practical knowledge on immigrants and refugees and to improve their lives in the region, in the nation and in the world, with a particular focus on refugee issues in collaboration with Western New York newcomer communities. Based on human rights perspectives, the members of the IRRI utilize research as a tool to sustain the dignity of every immigrant and refugee. The IRRI is a meeting place for all stakeholders interested in developing knowledge, policy and practice related to immigrants and refugees where scholars interested in working with immigrants and refugee populations share and exchange ideas with each other and with newcomer community leaders/members.

Founded in 1965, the Immigration History Research Center (IHRC) at the University of Minnesota aims to transform the way in which we understand immigration in the past and present. Along with its partner, the IHRC Archives (University Libraries), it is the oldest and largest interdisciplinary research center and archives devoted to preserving and understanding immigrant and refugee life in North America. IHRC promotes interdisciplinary research on migration, race, and ethnicity in the United States and the world through monthly seminars and research grants. IHRC connects US immigration history research to contemporary immigrant and refugee communities through our Immigrant Stories project. IHRC advances public dialogue about immigration with timely programs that draw audiences from around the corner and around the world. IHRC supports teaching and learning at all levels, and develops archives documenting immigrant and refugee experiences for future generations.

The Pew Research Center, in Washington, DC, studies many topics, including immigration. Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping America and the world. They conduct public opinion polling, demographic research, content analysis and other data-driven social science research. They generate a foundation of facts that enriches the public dialogue and supports sound decision-making. 

The mission of the Institute for Immigration Research (IIR) at George Mason University is to refocus the immigration conversation among academics, policy-makers and the public, including the business community and media, by producing and disseminating unbiased and objective, interdisciplinary academic research related to immigrants and immigration to the United States. Research conducted by the IIR will examine the economic impact of all immigrant groups, with particular emphasis on the economic contributions of immigrant entrepreneurs with high level of education or skills. The IIR concentrates on economic questions while adding in a sociological perspective. The Institute for Immigration Research is a joint venture between George Mason University and The Immigrant Learning Center, Inc. (ILC) of Massachusetts.

The Institute for the Study of International Migration (ISIM) at Georgetown University applies the best in social science research and policy expertise to understanding international migration and its consequences. Founded in 1998, ISIM is part of the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service and affiliated with the Law Center at Georgetown University. ISIM focuses on all aspects of international migration, including the causes and responses to population movements, immigration and refugee law and policy, comparative migration studies, immigrant integration in host societies, and the effects of international migration on social, economic, demographic, foreign policy, and national security concerns. ISIM also studies internal displacement, especially the forced migration of people moving for reasons that would make them political or environmental refugees if they crossed an international border. ISIM conducts research and convenes symposia and conferences on U.S. immigration and refugee law and policies. It also undertakes comparative analysis of international migration issues affecting other countries, and of forced migration and responses to humanitarian emergencies.

The International Metropolis Project is an international network of researchers, policy makers, and community groups engaged in identifying, understanding, and responding to developments in migration and diversity. Through its efforts, the network encourages the production and effective communication of policy-relevant knowledge amongst decision-makers, thought leaders, and practitioners. The network includes partners from across North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific and is growing in Africa and Latin America.

Established in 2006, the Latino Migration Project at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is an education and research program dedicated to improving public understanding about the impact and implications of the expanding Latin American presence in North Carolina and the Southeastern United States. Recent migration to the region is a continuation of a historical process that has long served as a source of economic development of the state as well as a catalyst for revisiting issues of civil rights, diversity, and the status of marginal groups in society. The Latino Migration Project fulfills a number of critical needs in a state with one of the fastest growing Latino populations in the nation. These needs include 1) accurate and timely information about immigration issues relevant to the general public well-being, 2) strategic planning for immigrant integration in NC municipalities, and 3) leadership development and academic training to enable immigrants and others to address the challenges and opportunities of demographic change in their own communities. One of the project's programs, Building Integrated Communities (BIC), is a multi-year community planning process that helps North Carolina local governments to successfully engage with local foreign-born, refugee, and Hispanic/Latinx residents in order to improve relationships, enhance communication, and promote newcomers’ civic participation and leadership in local government. As a result of working with BIC, local governments and diverse community stakeholders gain tools and build capacity to generate locally relevant strategies for promoting economic development and strengthening newcomers’ educational advancement.

The Mexican Migration Project (MMP) was created in 1982 by an interdisciplinary team of researchers to further our understanding of the complex process of Mexican migration to the United States. The project is a binational research effort co-directed by Jorge Durand, professor of Social Anthropology at the University of Guadalajara (Mexico), and Douglas S. Massey, professor of Sociology and Public Affairs at Princeton University (US). Since its inception, the MMP's main focus has been to gather social as well as economic information on Mexican-US migration. The data collected has been compiled in a comprehensive database that is available to the public free of charge for research and educational purposes through this web-site. The MMP is a unique source of data that enables researchers to track patterns and processes of contemporary Mexican immigration to the United States. The project is a multi-disciplinary research effort that generates public use data on the characteristics and behavior of Mexican migrants.

The National Center on Immigrant Integration Policy at the Migration Policy Institute is a crossroads for elected officials, researchers, state and local agency managers, grassroots leaders, service providers, and others who seek to understand and respond to the challenges and opportunities today’s high rates of immigration create in local communities. Key services the Center provides include policy-focused research, policy design, leadership development, technical assistance and training for government officials and community leaders, and an electronic resource center on immigrant integration issues with a special focus on state and local policies and data.

The Program on Immigrants and Immigration at the Urban Institute in Washington, DC, conducts research on immigrants and immigration spanning four interconnected domains: federal, state, and local immigration enforcement and integration policy; refugees and international migration; immigrant children, families, and communities; and the immigrant workforce. Researchers explore these domains by: understanding the quickly changing demographics of immigration and providing tools to allow practitioners and policymakers to find hard-to-access data relevant to their work; studying how to connect low-income immigrant families to vital supports such as human services programs and nonprofit providers, and investigating how to make those systems work better for immigrant families, particularly those with language barriers or undocumented status; and analyzing the impact of local, state, and federal policy and practice on the well-being and integration of communities, immigrant families, and workers.

The Receptivity, Integration, and Settlement In New Gateways (RISING) Research Group at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte is a consortium of community-engaged scholars, practitioners and advocates working with immigrants, refugees, and asylees and their families in new gateways. The consortium shares trans-disciplinary and trans-sector interests in the dynamics of migration and the complexities of settlement, receptivity, inclusion and integration at the local level and is committed to applied, participatory and action-based research. RISING presents results and information in diverse forms to a wide variety of audiences, develops and implements interventions that flow from the voice of the communities with whom we work and the research we have conducted, and mentors each other in our respective areas of expertise. RISING educates students from introductory undergraduate to advanced doctoral levels in community-engaged scholarship and collaborates with partners on innovative projects that enhance the lives of immigrants in new gateway communities.

The Zolberg Institute on Migration and Mobility at The New School builds on the intellectual tradition of migration studies at The New School and provides a space for research and scholarship, policy debate, and discussion with activists and artists around issues of global migration and mobility, their economic impact, political consequences and their meaning for issues of citizenship and identity. The Zolberg Institute aims to produce high-quality research, bring together scholars from many disciplines, engage with contentious political and cultural questions of mobility and immobility, justice and inequality, belonging and exclusion, and open a space for scholarly, activist and artistic voices on the issue of the political, economic, and cultural consequences of migration. Most importantly, the Institute provides a space to think about how migrants and migration are changing the political landscape – how they open up new political possibilities, wittingly or unwittingly. Using migration as a lens the Institute studies various types of transformation, shifting from a focus on nation-states and their borders to new forms of global knowledge and action, activated by and for migrants.