Nebraska Academy for Early Childhood Research
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Jenna Finch,
University of Nebraska–Lincoln
Jenna Finch is an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. Her research explores how contextual factors influence children’s early development. Specifically, her work focuses on the development of children’s executive functions and motivation in home and school environments.
Jenna's past work has explored how family risk factors are linked to the development of children’s executive functions and social emotional skills in both domestic and international settings.
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What is the future direction for your early childhood research?
"My research focuses on executive functions — a set of higher-order cognitive skills under the broader umbrella of self-regulation which allow children to regulate their attention and behavior. I am planning a series of studies to learn more about how preschool classrooms can support children’s executive function development. Interactions with teachers and peers, as well as academic learning activities, all theoretically provide opportunities for children to practice and refine their executive function skills.
"Given the importance of executive function skills for both academic and social development, I hope to identify specific aspects of children’s classroom experiences that promote executive functions which can be targeted with interventions."
Are there any new research projects or activities you are starting on now?
"I am planning a pilot study to examine a new observational measure of teachers’ executive function related behaviors in preschool classrooms. This study will test the reliability and validity of the observational measure and explore which teacher behaviors are linked to students’ executive function development over a school year."
What is a strength of early childhood research at the University of Nebraska?
"At the University of Nebraska, we have incredible opportunities to collaborate with early childhood researchers across different disciplines. As part of that, we are able to collaborate with Extension faculty who allow us to conduct translational research that can change children’s everyday experiences. It’s exciting to be part of a university system that encourages and rewards collaboration and has faculty who can inform practitioners and policymakers with important research findings about early childhood development."
How can effective collaborations enhance the research enterprise?
"Children’s development is complex. Interdisciplinary teams with a wide range of expertise are needed to fully understand developmental phenomena. I am part of a new planning grant organized by NAECR which includes 15 faculty across the University of Nebraska system.
"The collaborators contribute methodological and theoretical expertise in neuroscience, psychophysiology, health, multilingualism, measure development and community partnerships. We plan to explore the development of executive functions in early childhood with a truly interdisciplinary collaborative team."
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IES invites applications for Education/Special Education Research Grant Program awards
The U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences (IES) has
issued a notice
inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year 2020 for the
Education Research and Special Education Research Grant Programs
.
NAECR can assist you in finding research partners for your IES application. For assistance with building a collaborative team, please contact
Lisa Knoche at
lknoche2@unl.edu
.
In addition, NAECR can connect you with the CYFS system of grant supports, including application development and administration, and dissemination functions upon receipt of funding. For assistance with proposal development, please contact Julie Gillmor at
julie.gillmor@unl.edu
or 402-472-1947.
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Here are recent publications from NAECR researchers:
Anne Karabon, Teacher Education, University of Nebraska Omaha
Ann Anderson-Berry, Pediatrics, University of Nebraska Medical Center
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Would you like to see your work featured here? Contact us at
naecr@unl.edu
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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 discussing funding opportunities for your research.
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New!
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Healthy Eating Research
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Healthy Eating Research opportunity supports actionable research that advances health equity in the areas of nutritional disparities, nutrition and food security. Grants will provide advocates, decision-makers and policymakers with the evidence needed to address the key social determinants of health inequalities that underlie poor dietary patterns and related health consequences.
The program will fund:
- Up to seven small research grants of up to $200,000 each for 18 months;
- Up to two large-scale grants of up to $320,000 each for up to 24 months; and
- Up to two community-based participatory research grants of up to $320,000 each for up to 24 months.
Concept papers are due
July 31, 2019
.
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New!
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 seven years, 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, 2019
.
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Student funding
Patrice L. Engle Dissertation Grant for Global Early Child Development
The Patrice L. Engle Dissertation Grant provides support for junior scholars interested in a career in global early child development who are from, or doing research in, low- or middle-income countries.
The grant includes $5,000 to support dissertation research and a two-year student membership to SRCD.
Proposals are due
June 30, 2019
.
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Spencer Foundation Grants
The Spencer Foundation supports high-quality, innovative research on education by providing funding for education-focused research projects, research training fellowships and additional field-building initiatives.
Small Research Grants Program
Award budget: Up to $50,000
Project duration: 1-5 years
Proposals are due
July 1, 2019
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William T. Grant Foundation Scholars Program
The William T. Grant Scholars Program supports career development for promising early career researchers. The program funds five-year research and mentoring plans that significantly expand researchers' expertise in new disciplines, methods and content areas.
Applicants should have a track record of conducting high-quality research and an interest in pursuing a significant shift in their trajectories as researchers.
Proposals are due
July 2, 2019
.
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Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services
The Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services seeks to address state-identified needs for personnel preparation in special education, early intervention, related services and regular education to work with children, including infants and toddlers, with disabilities; and ensure those personnel have the necessary skills and knowledge, derived from practices that have been determined through scientifically based research and experience, to be successful in serving those children.
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Preparation of Special Education, Early Intervention and Related Services Leadership Personnel
Priorities include the preparation of special education, early intervention and related services faculty, as well as the preparation of special education and early intervention administrators.
Estimated award range: $224,000-$750,000 per year, depending on the number of higher educational institutions involved.
Project duration: Up to 60 months
Proposals are due
July 8, 2019
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Interdisciplinary Preparation in Special Education, Early Intervention, and Related Services for Personnel Serving Children with Disabilities who have High-Intensity Needs
Priorities include an interdisciplinary project supporting scholars from two or more graduate degree programs in either (a) special education or early intervention, and one or more related services; or (b) two or more related services.
Award ceiling: $250,000
Project duration: Up to 60 months
Proposals are due
July 8, 2019
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NIH Refinement and Testing of Interventions to Sustain ADHD Treatment
The purpose of this funding opportunity is to encourage pilot studies to assess the preliminary effectiveness of augmented or modified interventions designed to promote enhanced and sustained improvement in ADHD symptoms and functional impairments across settings and transitions in children, adolescents and young adults.
The funding agency encourages applicants to contact the Program Contact listed in the RFA early in the application process to discuss the match between their application concept and the priorities outlined in the funding opportunity announcement.
NIMH intends to commit $1.4 million in direct costs in fiscal year 2020 to fund 5-6 awards.
Proposals are due
Nov. 15, 2019
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NIH Secondary Data Analysis to Examine Long-Term and/or Potential Cross-Over Effects of Prevention Interventions: What are the Benefits for Preventing Mental Health Disorders?
The purpose of this funding opportunity is to encourage research to integrate/harmonize existing data sets from preventive intervention trials implemented early in life to:
1) examine risk and protective factors relevant to later mental health outcomes in childhood, adolescence and young adulthood; and
2) determine whether preventive interventions delivered earlier in life have long-term effects, and/or cross-over effects (e.g., unanticipated beneficial effects), on important mental health outcomes, including serious mental illness (e.g., depression, anxiety, suicide ideation and behaviors, and psychosis behaviors).
NIMH intends to commit $3 million to fund 4-6 awards and NCCIH intends to commit $500,000 to fund 1 award.
Proposals are due
Jan. 2, 2020
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Teachers Development Group Symposium on Early Childhood:
Mathematics Professional Development
July 29-30, 2019
Sheraton Portland Airport Hotel
Portland, Oregon
The Symposium on Early Childhood: Mathematics Professional Development is for those interested in mathematics education in early childhood settings, including early childhood teacher leaders, school and district administrators, center directors, professional developers, instructional coaches, university educators and researchers.
The goal of the symposium is to delve deeper into questions of what constitutes meaningful math experiences for culturally and linguistically diverse preschool-aged children, and what it takes to support change in math learning for all young children.
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2019 American Psychological Association Conference
Aug. 8-11, 2019
Chicago, Illinois
Scientists, educators, practitioners and applied psychologists attend the American Psychological Association conference to explore the most compelling issues in the discipline.
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Cognitive Development Society
Oct. 17-19, 2019
Louisville, Kentucky
CALL FOR PROPOSALS
The Cognitive Development Society aims to provide a unified voice for the wide range of scholars, practitioners, and others who are interested in change and continuity in the intellectual processes that support mental life.
Proposals are due
July 2, 2019
.
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American Educational Research Association
Annual Meeting
April 17-21, 2020
San Francisco, California
CALL FOR PROPOSALS
The 2020 AERA Annual Meeting will focus on the power and possibilities for the public good when researchers and organizational stakeholders collaborate.
Proposals are due
July 10, 2019
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New!
Step Up with Go NAP SACC:
Making Quality Child Care Even Better Seminars
June 25, 2019
Noon – 1 p.m. (Reception to follow)
University of Nebraska Omaha, CEC 2019
Dianne Ward, Ed.D., will present on Go NAP SACC, an online, interactive version of her original program, NAP SACC. NAP SACC is a highly regarded policy and environmental intervention for child care which has been recognized as a model program and adopted by many states and communities.
Dr. Ward is a professor of nutrition in the Gillings School of Global Public Health at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a research fellow at the Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention. She is engaged in efforts to prevent childhood obesity through home, school and community interventions that promote healthy eating and regular physical activity in children and families.
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Is there an upcoming conference you want to publicize? A new publication you would like to share? Let us know!
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Connecting Research and Policy
Learn more and sign up for alerts about legislation relevant to early childhood researchers.
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NAECR Student Researchers
Students involved in early childhood research at the University of Nebraska can access a number of resources through NAECR.
Post-doc Opportunities:
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Find a Researcher
Find and collaborate with other early childhood researchers across the NU system.
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NAECR News archives available
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NAECR News will be shared twice a month to inform the early childhood research community across the NU system.
If this newsletter has been forwarded to you and you would like to be added to the mailing list, please email us using the button above.
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