Sara Kindon has been supporting and carrying out participatory research with people from refugee backgrounds since 2005. This research has mostly involved refugee-background youth and women collaborating with her postgraduate students. Some project findings have led to policy changes in TEOs to recognise refugee-background learners in equity policy and practice, more inclusive practices by Wellington sport and recreation providers, improved high school homework club activities, and the launch of the National Tertiary Network to Support Refugee Background Learners in 2019 in partnership with the Tertiary Education Commission and Vic.Without.Barriers. In 2019, Sara also became the first female professor of Human Geography and Development Studies at Victoria University of Wellington. She has published widely on participatory, creative and visual methodologies, complicity in non-Indigenous-Indigenous research partnerships, refugee resettlement and belonging in Aotearoa, as well as gender and international development.