University of Maryland School of Public Policy Assistant Professor Elisabeth Gilmore and Professor Anand Patwardhan have secured a $150,000 grant, running from June 2016 to May 2017. It is an extension on Gilmore’s current grant from the Minerva Initiative of the U.S. Department of Defense.

Their project reflects the strength of the School of Public Policy at the intersection of climate change and security. “The goal is to investigate whether and how climate change may influence migration patterns and to generate timely information for policies to improve societal outcomes.” said Gilmore.

Throughout their project, Gilmore and Patwardhan plan to use a mixed methods approach with a series of case studies with qualitative and quantitative components, examining the relationship between socio-economic and climatic conditions and associated migration patterns in rural and urban communities. The project outcomes will provide improved theory and support for migration and displacement as a response to climate change and the effects on social unrest.