Our methodology allows our funding to go directly to a refugee researcher, rather than going toward expensive airfare and hotels for an outsider to fly in and do the work. However, it still costs a small amount to wire funds to our researchers. For $25, you can cover these costs for one researcher.

Inconsequential tools for an academic faculty member--like notepads, audio recorders for interviews, and printing costs for surveys and consent forms--may be luxury items to a refugee case study researcher. We reimburse these expenses with documentation from receipts.

A key instrument of qualitative field research is the focus group discussion: an opportunity for members of a community to participate in guided talks about the challenges and opportunities they have experienced in the refugee integration process. These discussions are best conducted in a neutral space--often that must be rented--with food and refreshments to create a shared, communal atmosphere facilitative of open conversation. These discussions allow communities to process their challenges with integration, and for researchers to collect data. We reimburse the costs of hosting a discussion, documented with receipts.

All of our refugee researchers will work on mapping and ethnography on important urban spaces where refugees and hosts interact, as well as conduct interviews with key members of refugee populations, host communities, aid organizations, and government institutions. Transportation by bus, train, or taxi for this work can be expensive, particularly for many refugees' already stressed budgets, so we reimburse all transportation costs, documented with receipts.

While this compensation for their laborious and valuable work is a relatively small amount, we feel it is important to fairly compensate our researchers for their time and effort. Compensation provides a refugee researcher with: -Training and valuable skills in qualitative research methodology, data collection, university practices, English language, and a local and international professional network; -Support for understanding their town or city's challenges and opportunities as refugees and hosts undergo integration, developing and sharing good practices and lessons, and; -A temporary and small--but relatively significant--source of income that fairly compensates them for their work.

For this amount we can provide a full stipend for one refugee as a case study researcher. This includes their compensation and research-related reimbursements such as ground transportation.