Nebraska Academy for Early Childhood Research |
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Ciara Ousley is an assistant professor in the Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. She is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst-Doctoral (BCBA-D) and a former special educator in Ohio and Nebraska.
Her research focuses on supporting the social communication skills of young children with autism and other developmental disabilities who have limited to no vocal speech. She trains and coaches families and practitioners in the use of naturalistic developmental behavioral interventions.
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Ciara Ousley, assistant professor of special education and communication disorders, University of Nebraska–Lincoln |
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What is the future direction for your early childhood research?
"My overall goal is to ensure that all children with developmental disabilities who have limited to no vocal speech have access to a communication mode that is going to make sense to them. I’m currently looking at how we can adapt parent-implemented interventions for children with developmental disabilities (e.g., autism spectrum disorder) who require communication supports (e.g., augmentative and alternative communication)."
Are there any new research projects or activities you are working on or starting soon?
"I’m working collaboratively with my colleague, Dr. Susan Loveall, on evaluating early intervention in Nebraska through the lens of parents and caregivers. We are using a community-based participatory research model to involve those who have experienced early intervention services in all steps of the research process: methodological design, collection of data, interpretation of results and dissemination of findings.
I will also be working on a project where I will be using various research-supported strategies during play time and storybook reading with young children with autism who have minimal to no vocal speech. Through these studies I will be evaluating the effectiveness of specific strategies and communication supports to understand what the active ingredients of naturalistic developmental behavioral interventions are."
Why is early childhood research important?
"When we partner with families of children with autism and other developmental disabilities at a very young age, we are able to support those families and that child in ways that are meaningful to them. Providing these supports early allows the child to learn how to communicate in the way that works best for them so they can navigate the social dynamics of school and friendships with success."
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Apply now for NAECR Policy Fellows Program |
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NAECR is currently accepting applications for the 2023-24 NAECR Policy Fellows Program! The program is a series of interactive and collaborative conversations between First Five Nebraska and NAECR early childhood researchers.
Objectives include:
- To educate NU early childhood researchers on policy processes, impacts and relationships to research;
- To provide the Nebraska policy community with insight into the University of Nebraska’s latest early childhood research; and
- To create meaningful, bi-directional connections and collaborations between the research and policy communities to develop a policy-relevant research agenda and enrich early childhood experiences.
We will select four NAECR researchers to participate in the program, which runs from September 2023 to May 2024.
Applications are due by May 31. Selected applicants will be notified by June 14.
All participants will be expected to:
- Attend a total of four conversations with First Five Nebraska and other policy fellows;
- Participate in a culminating activity (e.g., presentation, panel);
- Engage in and contribute to an active, ongoing and supportive dialogue about the connections between policy and research; and
- Provide feedback on the Policy Fellows program.
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Here are recent publications from NAECR researchers:
Jennifer Sewall, International Education Advocate and Practitioner, Amsterdam
Julie Tippens*, Child, Youth and Family Studies, University of Nebraska–Lincoln
Helen Miamidian, Department of Social Transformation, Eastern University
Dulo Nyaoro, Department of Political Sciences, Moi University
Danae Dinkel*, College of Education, Health and Human Services, University of Nebraska at Omaha
Kailey Snyder*, Munroe-Meyer Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center
Priyanka Chaudhary**, College of Education, Health and Human Services, University of Nebraska at Omaha
Shari DeVeney*, College of Education, Health, and Human Services, University of Nebraska at Omaha
* Denotes NAECR Researcher
** Denotes NAECR Student Researcher
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Would you like to see your work featured here? Contact us at naecr@unl.edu
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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.
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American Speech-Language-Hearing Foundation
The American Speech-Language-Hearing Foundation (ASHFoundation) invites investigators to submit proposals in competition for up to four research grant.
The ASHFoundation supports innovators and sparks innovation in communication sciences to make that connection possible for everyone.
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Student funding: New Century Scholars Doctoral Scholarship
These scholarships support strong doctoral candidates in communication sciences and disorders who will pursue a teacher-investigator career in an academic environment at the university/college level in the U.S.
Award budget: $10,000
Proposal due date: This Wednesday, May 10, 2023
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Student funding: Administration for Children and Families Graduate Student Dissertation Grants
Head Start Dissertation Grants
Award budget: $20,000-$25,000
Proposal due date: May 18, 2023
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Child Care Dissertation Grants
Award budget: $20,000-$25,000
Proposal due date: May 19, 2023
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Behavioral Interventions Scholars Grants
Award budget: $20,000-$25,000
Proposal due date: June 5, 2023
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Spencer Racial Equity Research Grants
The Racial Equity Research Grants program supports education research projects that will contribute to understanding and ameliorating of racial inequality in education.
Funding is directed at studies that aim to understand and disrupt the reproduction and deepening of inequality in education, and which seek to (re)imagine and make new forms of equitable education.
Spencer is interested in research projects that seek to envision educational opportunities in a multiplicity of education systems, levels, settings and developmental ranges, and that reach beyond documenting conditions and paradigms that contribute to persistent racial inequalities.
Letter of Intent due date: May 16, 2023
Proposal due date: June 14, 2023
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Early Educator Investment Collaborative
The Collaborative will fund a limited number of grants to support the capacity of state/local/municipal/territory/tribal governments to innovate financing systems to increase the compensation (wages and benefits) of the early childhood education workforce.
Via this funding opportunity, the Collaborative will support partnerships among fiscal or budget agencies and program agencies to engage in efforts to catalyze transformative change for educator compensation in early childhood education systems. This grant opportunity is primarily concerned with the financial systems, including revenue generation and fiscal spending, that support the compensation of the workforce.
The total amount of funding to be awarded is approximately $10 million over up to three years. Grants will vary in size according to identified need and the proposed reform’s stage of development, with minimum grant awards ranging from approximately $400,000 to $800,000 and maximum awards ranging from approximately $2 million to $4 million.
Proposal due date: June 5, 2023
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Foundation for Child Development 2024 Young Scholars Program
The Foundation for Child Development is currently accepting proposals for its 2024 Young Scholars Program, which supports scholarship for early career researchers. The program funds implementation research that is policy- and practice-relevant, and that examines the preparation, competency, compensation, well-being and ongoing professional learning of the early care and education workforce.
Award budget: Up to $225,000 for primary data collection and analysis, and up to $180,000 for secondary data analysis
Proposal due date: June 13, 2023
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New! 2023 Nebraska MTSS Summit
"Transformations Through Coherence"
Call for Proposals
Oct. 12-13, 2023
Kearney, Nebraska
The summit will focus on using a whole child approach in the process of implementing a multi-tiered system of support for continuous improvement and providing high-quality and evidence-based social, emotional, behavioral, environmental and academic support for all students.
It is an opportunity for early childhood researchers to share “lessons learned” from their work that educators can apply in their practice.
Proposal due date: June 2, 2023
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New! National Association of School Psychologists
2024 Annual Convention
Call for Proposals
Feb. 14-17, 2024
New Orleans, Louisiana
NASP is currently accepting proposals for mini-skills, papers, posters and symposia for the 2024 annual convention.
Proposal due date: June 14, 2023
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Division for Early Childhood’s Annual International Conference
on Young Children with Disabilities and their Families
Nov. 28 – Dec. 1, 2023
Minneapolis, Minnesota
The Division for Early Childhood is accepting proposals for its 39th Annual Conference on Young Children with Disabilities and their Families, including strand proposals, research proposals and practitioner proposals.
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Buffett Early Childhood Institute PD for All Series:
Building and Sustaining Powerful Partnerships with Families
January – May 2023
The Buffett Early Childhood Institute is excited to announce a new format for the ongoing Professional Development for All (PD for All) program: Bite-sized learning.
Instead of day-long in-person gatherings, activities will include videos, interactive Twitter chats and other online learning opportunities that are easily accessible to educators at any time.
The next PD for All series will last throughout the spring and summer. Digital components designed for early childhood professionals working with children from birth through Grade 3 will concentrate on building and sustaining powerful partnerships with 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.
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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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