Nebraska Academy for Early Childhood Research
August 24, 2020
Greetings!

NAECR is excited to welcome you to the beginning of another semester. Although the pandemic has brought us new challenges, we will continue to offer you the same level of support and resources with the goal of bringing together early childhood researchers from across the University of Nebraska system.

Remember, in addition to NAECR News, NAECR researchers can:


We are also excited to announce that this semester we have adapted our event series to offer two combined NAECR Knowledge/Networking virtual conversations to explore how to initiate, conduct and sustain early childhood research in the age of COVID-19:

NAECR Knowledge & Networking: Creative Data Collection

As researchers face the challenges that come with COVID-19, what are some creative data collection methods when working with children, families and early childhood practitioners?

Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2020
Noon – 1 p.m.

NAECR Knowledge & Networking: Research Partnerships

How is COVID-19 reshaping how researchers initiate, maintain and address research partnerships?

Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2020
Noon – 1 p.m.

Registration information coming soon.
Lisa Knoche, Ph.D. 
Research Associate Professor
Director, Nebraska Academy for Early Childhood Research
Co-director, Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families & Schools
Would you like to see your work featured here? Contact us at naecr@unl.edu
NAECR can assist you in finding research partners for your funding applications and staff in CYFS are available to assist with your proposal development for these or other funding opportunities.

Please contact Lisa Knoche if you are interested in building a collaborative team, need assistance with proposal development or would like to discuss funding opportunities for your research.
AHRQ Cross-Sectional Innovation to Improve Rural Postpartum Mental Health Challenge

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is accepting proposals to improve postpartum mental health care for rural American families. The purpose of this challenge is to elicit narratives and proposals regarding solutions to address postpartum mental health diagnosis and treatment in rural communities for AHRQ to share with healthcare systems, healthcare professionals, local and state policymakers, federal partners and the public. Two proposal types will be accepted: Success Story and Program Proposal.

Success Story award amount: $15,000

Program Proposal award amount: $50,000

Proposals are due Sept. 15, 2020.

Caplan Foundation for Early Childhood Grants

The Caplan Foundation supports research and development projects that appear likely to improve the welfare of young children, from infancy through age 7, in the United States. The foundation provides funding in the areas of early childhood welfare, early childhood education and play, and parenting education.

Previously awarded grants range from $22,000 to $100,000.

Letters of inquiry are due Sept. 30, 2020.

National Science Foundation Discovery Research PreK-12

The Discovery Research PreK-12 program (DRK-12) seeks to significantly enhance the learning and teaching of science, technology, engineering, mathematics and computer science (STEM) by PreK-12 students and teachers through research and development of STEM education innovations and approaches. The DRK-12 program invites proposals that address immediate challenges that are facing PreK-12 STEM education, as well as those that anticipate radically different structures and functions of PreK-12 teaching and learning.

Anticipated award amounts are as follows: (1) Level I projects up to $450,000 with a duration of up to three years; (2) Level II projects up to $3,000,000 with a duration of up to four years; and (3) Level III projects up to $5,000,000 with a duration of up to five years.

Proposals are due Oct. 7, 2020.

American Educational Research Association Research Grants

The AERA Grants Program is designed to advance knowledge and build research capacity in education and STEM education and learning.

The program welcomes proposals that 1) develop or benefit from advanced statistical or innovative quantitative methods or measures; 2) analyze more than one large-scale national or international federally funded data set, or more than one statewide longitudinal data system, or incorporate other data enhancements; 3) integrate, link or blend multiple large-scale data sources; or 4) undertake replication research of major findings or major studies using large-scale, federally supported or enhanced data.

Awards are up to $25,000 for one-year projects, or up to $35,000 for two-year projects.

Proposals are due Nov. 2, 2020.

National Science Foundation Social Psychology

The Social Psychology Program at NSF supports research and research infrastructure to advance basic knowledge in social psychology. Proposed research should carry strong potential for creating transformative advances in the basic understanding of human social behavior. Among the many research topics supported are: social cognition, attitudes, social and cultural influence, stereotypes, motivation, decision-making, group dynamics, aggression, close relationships, social and affective neuroscience, social psychophysiology, emotions, prosocial behavior, health-related behavior, and personality and individual differences. 

Proposals are due Jan. 15, 2021.

New! National Research Conference on Early Childhood

Nov. 30 – Dec. 3, 2020
Location: Virtual

The National Research Conference on Early Childhood 2020 will be a virtual event, and will present the latest research surrounding Head Start, Early Head Start, child care, home visiting, child welfare, special education, pre-kindergarten, early elementary and other early childhood programs.

The event will include plenary and breakout sessions, and dynamic poster presentations.

Thriving Children, Families and Communities Conference

Sept. 14, 2020
Location: Virtual

Hosted by the Buffett Early Childhood Institute, the Thriving Children, Families and Communities Conference brings together community leaders from across Nebraska to focus on high-quality early childhood education and its connection to economic development and community vitality.

This year's conference will feature both live-streamed presentations and local watch parties where participants can come together to discuss challenges, share success stories, learn from one another and develop plans for implementing and sustaining high-quality birth-to-Grade 3 care and education.

Nebraska watch party sites include Alliance, Columbus, Grand Island, Kearney, McCook, Norfolk, North Platte, Scottsbluff and more. Additional sites will be posted online.

Society for Research in Child Development
2021 Biennial Meeting

April 8-10, 2021
Minneapolis, Minnesota

SRCD is accepting submissions for the 2021 Biennial Meeting. Empirical, theoretical, historical, methodological, policy, application and translational submissions from investigators around the world in all disciplines related to the field of child development are welcomed.

The Society encourages submissions from researchers at all career stages including graduate and undergraduate students.

Proposals are due Oct. 1, 2020.

New! National Prenatal-to-3 Research to Policy Summit:
Building a State Policy Roadmap to Strengthen the Earliest Years

Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2020
11 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Location: Virtual

This free, virtual summit will bring the early childhood field together to:

  • learn about the newest findings on the science of the developing child;
  • discuss how policy choices can lead to or reduce racial disparities;
  • launch the first and much anticipated 2020 Prenatal-to-3 State Policy Roadmap, paired with custom state Roadmaps and online data interactives; and
  • hear from state leaders about using the evidence-driven Roadmap to strengthen prenatal-to-3 systems of care in their state.

NAECR Announces Combined Knowledge/Networking Events
for Fall 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused early childhood researchers to face many new challenges and explore new approaches to their research. To help address these issues, NAECR is adapting its event series for fall 2020.

We will offer two combined NAECR Knowledge/Networking conversations to explore how to initiate, conduct and sustain early childhood research in the age of COVID-19. These virtual events will include time for breakout sessions to allow for more in-depth discussion and networking among participants.
NAECR Knowledge & Networking: Creative Data Collection

As researchers face the challenges that come with COVID-19, what are some creative data collection methods when working with children, families and early childhood practitioners?

Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2020
12:00 – 1:00 p.m.
Location: Virtual
NAECR Knowledge & Networking: Research Partnerships

How is COVID-19 reshaping how researchers initiate, maintain and address research partnerships?

Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2020
12:00 – 1:00 p.m.
Location: Virtual

Registration coming soon.
Is there an upcoming conference you want to publicize? A new publication you would like to share? Let us know!
Connecting Research and Policy

Learn more and sign up for alerts about legislation relevant to early childhood researchers.



NAECR Student Researchers

Students involved in early childhood research at the University of Nebraska can access a number of resources through NAECR.




Find a Researcher

Find and collaborate with other early childhood researchers across the NU system.

NAECR News archives available

Access past issues of NAECR News.
NAECR News will be shared twice a month to inform the early childhood research community across the NU system.

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