Current Research Projects
We conduct impact-driven research on violence, extremism, and human rights abuses, developing practical tools for justice, healing, and long-term peacebuilding.
Partnering with scholars and communities, our projects document atrocities, analyze political violence, and counter hate through compassionate, evidence-based solutions.
Sudan at War with Itself
Human Rights Violations During the Current Civil War:
- In collaboration with the GGS Department and the Sudan Human Rights Hub, this project documents and analyzes war crimes and human rights violations committed during the ongoing conflict in Sudan. Its findings are instrumental in supporting justice efforts, guiding humanitarian aid, and combating misinformation.
Long-term Peace through Social Cohesion
- Despite the increasing emphasis on social cohesion as a key element of peace efforts, research on this concept in contexts of prolonged conflict and violence remains limited, with mixed findings. This forward-looking project, aims to explore social cohesion within Sudanese communities affected by armed conflict, focusing on how these communities understand, cultivate, and maintain positive social cohesion in times of war. The research is guided by three key questions: (1) How do Sudanese define social cohesion? (2) In what ways has war impacted social cohesion among Sudanese communities? (3) What behaviors, attitudes, and language reflect social cohesion in Sudan?
U.S. Political Polarization
The Depolarizing Effects of Curiosity
- An interesting and valuable study on the (1) curiosity that entrenches the selective perception and confirmation bias that polarizes people and groups, and (2) the curiosity that expands people’s thinking in a way that depolarizes them. The study aims to differentiate curiosity as an orientation tool in CAR and illuminate the certainty that accompanies deep conflict and division with suggestions for further research.
Parties in the USA: The Impact of Political Party Affiliation Strength and Party Alignment on Perceptions of Candidates
- With political polarization in the United States, or the ideological divide between the two major parties, at an all-time high, making bipartisan cooperation both increasingly rare and critically important. This study investigated how voter perception of bipartisan candidates is shaped by party alignment (co-party vs. opposing-party), candidate partisanship (partisan vs. bipartisan), and voter partisanship strength (weak vs. strong).
Mindbridge x PiVoT Lab: Narratives of Significance Loss and Power
A Study of the Manosphere & Online Radicalization of Gen-Z Men
- This project is a collaboration between Mindbridge’s Countering Extremism Directive (CED) and the PiVoT peace Lab, explores how Gen-Z men in the U.S. interpret masculinity, power, and belonging in relation to extremist radicalization in the digital realm, sometimes referred to as the “manosphere”. Learn more on the project’s page: https://pivot.carterschool.gmu.edu/mindbridge-x-pivot/.
Ways to Get Involved
Research
The PiVoT Peace Lab invites undergrad and grad students to conduct research on peace, justice, and conflict—either through independent projects or by joining ongoing initiatives.
Students receive mentorship, collaborate on funding and publication efforts, and engage with a broad network of scholars and practitioners for interdisciplinary growth.
Events
Students are invited to take part in PiVoT Peace Lab events, including research discussion groups, film screenings with community dialogue, and expert panels or regional summits.
These events support our mission to understand polarization and promote strategies that turn division into dialogue and hostility into peacebuilding.
DeLTA Network
The DeLTA Network is a collaborative hub for academics working to address political polarization and restore trust in democracy.
It builds community through shared research, dialogue, and events that raise awareness and inspire collective action.
Peace Week
Each year, the Pivot Peace Lab takes part in Peace Week, contributing to discussions on rethinking peace amid global conflict, climate change, and emerging technologies.
During Peace Week 2025, the Lab hosted “Countering Violent Extremism,” a session exploring polarization and ideological violence in the U.S. Using case studies like the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers, participants examined the roots of extremism and discussed strategies to transform division into pro-social engagement and democratic renewal.