The Center for Urban and Regional Affairs (CURA) invites proposals for our Community Action Research Grant (formerly the Faculty Interactive Research Program, FIRP)for research related to the current U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Minnesota. This grant provides funding for up to $45,000 for applied, community-engaged research projects.

For this year’s funding, CURA invites proposals to research various aspects of “Operation Metro Surge,” the ICE Minnesota campaign. Research can be statewide or focused on specific communities either within the Twin Cities metro area or Greater Minnesota. We hope for…

For this month’s CURA Story, we are excited to share our 2024 Annual Report showcasing the impactful work of the Center for Urban and Regional Affairs over the past year.

This year's report highlights 141 projects across Minnesota, including 77 faculty/graduate student research projects, 21 community-based research initiatives, and 43 technical assistance projects. Our work has connected 214 student participants with 151 community and government organizations across 14 research areas—from housing and public policy to racial equity and environmental justice.…

Researcher: Ceema Samimi (School of Social Work)

Abstract: The Inclusion Project addresses the disproportionate use of exclusionary discipline that exacerbates educational inequities. Current policies often lack non-exclusionary alternatives, and the political climate, including increased immigration enforcement and reductions in disability protections, heightens these risks. In alignment with Saint Paul Public Schools’ mission to inspire students, this project will equip educators with tools to reform discipline policies and practices. Using a Critical…

Researcher: Sarah Hoffman (School of Nursing)

Abstract: Sexual and intimate partner violence directly or indirectly impacts a significant portion of the United States population. Structural inequities and systemic oppression challenge equitable access to Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) health services, which are critical for recovery and justice. Individuals with refugee, immigrant, and migrant (RIM) backgrounds experience compounded barriers to forensic healthcare. Our project aims to address these disparities by leveraging…

Researcher: J'Mag Karbeah (School of Public Health)

Abstract: The United States is facing an urgent youth mental health crisis with nearly a third of youth reporting that they’ve experienced poor mental health (e.g. depression, suicidal ideation, and completed suicides) with the largest increases being increase in among Black girls ages 10-17. Research suggests that the association between experiences of racial discrimination and adverse mental health is often mediated by positive ethnic racial identity formation and socialization. To…

CURA is pleased to announce the recipients of this year′s Fesler-Lampert Chair in Urban and Regional Affairs and Community Action Research Grant. 

J'Mag Karbeah from the School of Public Health is the 2025-2026 Fesler-Lampert Chair in Urban and Regional Affairs with this project, …

The Center for Urban and Regional Affairs (CURA) is pleased to announce the competition for the 2025–2026 Fesler-Lampert Chair in Urban and Regional Affairs, and invites interested faculty from across the University of Minnesota to apply for this award.

The Fesler-Lampert Chair in Urban and Regional Affairs provides one year of support for the research activities of a University of Minnesota faculty member on a project related to urban and regional affairs in Minnesota. Previous holders of the chair have used this support to complete projects on urban environmental policy advocacy in the Twin Cities, employee turnover and retention…

In honor of the late Esther Wattenberg, the Center for Advanced Studies in Child Welfare and the Center for Urban and Regional Affairs (CURA) will be hosting the 2024 Esther Wattenberg Policy Forum.

2024 Esther Wattenberg Policy Award recipient - Nikki Villavicencio

The Esther Wattenberg Policy Award recognizes exemplary policy work and contributions impacting children and families in Minnesota. We will honor the 2024 Esther Wattenberg Policy Award recipient, Nikki Villavicencio, the disability culture and leadership specialist at…

Researchers: David Beard (Professor of Rhetoric, Department of English, Linguistics, and Writing Studies, University of Minnesota Duluth); Kim Dauner (Associate Professor of Healthcare Management, Department of Economics and Healthcare Management, University of Minnesota Duluth); Julie Slowiak (Associate Professor of Industrial and Organizational Psychology, Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota Duluth); and Kathryn Van Wert (Assistant Professor of English, Department of English, Linguistics, and Writing Studies, University of Minnesota Duluth)

An interdisciplinary team works with critical access hospitals in Ely, Grand Marais, Bigfork Valley, and…

CURA is pleased to announce the recipients of this year′s Community Action Research Grant: 

• David Beard (Professor of Rhetoric, Department of English, Linguistics, and Writing Studies, University of Minnesota Duluth), lead researcher: A Partnership…