We propose to observe a sample of actively star
 forming dwarf galaxies, also known as HII galaxies,
 70% of which have optical companions. The companions
 were initially detected by searching for neutral
 hydrogen and were subsequently identified with
 optical counterparts on R-band CCD frames. It is
 suggested that the companions have provided the
 trigger for the current burst of star formation.
 We plan to observe the HII galaxies, most of which
 have IRAS detections at 60 and 100 um, and to search
 for IR emission from the companion objects. Our aim
 is to try to determine the dust masses in these
 objects and to determine their gas-to dust ratio
 (note that most of the detectable matter in these
 objects is in the gas phase, stars contributing less
 than 50%). As these objects are among the lowest
 abundance systems known, we'd like to find out if
 the dust characteristics, such as temperature correlates
 with metallicity and if dust influences the star
 formation threshold.