The Bureau of Applied Research in Anthropology (BARA) was founded in 1952 as the Bureau of Ethnic Research, charged with monitoring the socio-economic welfare of Native American communities in Arizona. In 1982, BARA adopted its current name and vastly expanded its mission. Today, the BARA faculty is comprised of 16 state-funded and project-funded professionals actively engaged in research, teaching, and outreach activities.

BARA has four major program areas. In each there exists a tradition of research and intellectual leadership, related courses and training, graduate and undergraduate student involvement, and community outreach. In addition to these programmatic concentrations, other creative and innovative areas of inquiry, termed BARA Initiatives, are constantly being explored by BARA faculty.

BARA is located within the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Arizona. As a research unit, BARA seeks to expand social science knowledge that promotes an enhanced understanding of real-world problems. Its diverse range of research activities-in both domestic and international contexts-addresses critical human issues focused on change and development, power and marginality, gender and ethnicity, growth and learning, poverty and vulnerability, social justice and equity, voice and identity, and environmental change and sustainability.

At the heart of BARA's approach lies a commitment to community participation, empirical fieldwork, and innovative research methods. BARA has established its reputation on an ability to create effective dialogues with local stakeholders, to accurately document strategies of household and community survival, and to promote the economic well-being and cultural integrity of its partner communities. In this way, research and outreach activities are enmeshed and integrated.

As part of its academic mission, BARA is fully committed to the training of professional anthropologists. In these unprecedented times of increased globalization and ethnic diversity, anthropology assumes a new relevance and a social responsibility that extend far beyond academic walls. BARA, in partnership with the Department of Anthropology, is uniquely positioned to provide the teaching and mentoring in Applied Anthropology that meets this urgent challenge.