Dana Moss, sociology graduate student, has been awarded a Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant from the National Science Foundation in the amount of $11,322. This funding is supporting Moss’ research on the role that diasporas played in the “Arab Spring” revolutions of 2011, specifically the movements of Libyan, Yemeni and Syrian diasporas in the U.S. and Great Britain.

Drawing from more than 220 original interviews, ethnographic observations of Syrian pro-revolution events and public statements from diaspora organizations, Moss’ dissertation investigates how these populations mobilized and why only some of them played a significant role in anti-authoritarian movements and insurgencies in the Middle East.

This study will contribute to academic and popular understandings of diasporas’ roles in violent conflicts and democratic development.

Her grant began in August 2014 and will run through July 2015.