(FIR), and submillimeter (submm) wavelength regimes. These include the dearth of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs), prominent hot MIR-emitting dust, submm excess, and enhanced \[C [ii]{}\] 157 $\mu$m/CO(1-0) ratios [e.g. @madden-2008; @madden-2012a].

What physical properties, local as well as global, within the dwarf galaxies are we witnessing with these observational signatures? How do we turn these signatures into a realistic view of star formation under early universe conditions? How do basic local parameters, such as radiation field, density, compactness, filling factors, metallicity, etc. figure in the picture we have of star-forming dwarf galaxies? Much of the ambiguity surrounding these questions is due to the lack of understanding the precise role of critical diagnostics and of spatial resolution in the most nearby objects, especially in the FIR/submm, resulting in a mixture of different interstellar medium (ISM) phases in the integrated view of galaxies.

Low metallicity star-forming dwarf galaxies host young massive stellar clusters [e.g. @turner-2000; @beck-2000; @johnson-2003] which produce ultraviolet (UV) photons. Thus UV photons play an important role in the heating and the chemistry of the ISM, controlling the structure of H [ii]{} regions and photodissociation regions (PDRs). While the heating of the gas is mainly due to photoionisation and gas-grain 