Nebraska Academy for Early Childhood Research |
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Philip Lai, associate professor and graduate program chairman, Department of Communication Disorders, University of Nebraska at Kearney |
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HyeonJin Yoon, research assistant professor, Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families and Schools |
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NU researchers exploring social brain activity
via University of Nebraska Collaboration Initiative
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Philip Lai, associate professor and graduate program chair of the Department of Communication Disorders at the University of Nebraska at Kearney, and HyeonJin Yoon, CYFS research assistant professor, are part of a team representing all four University of Nebraska campuses participating in a collaborative research project to better understand social interaction in the brain.
Funded by a University of Nebraska Collaboration Initiative Preliminary Data and Application Preparation Grant, Lai and Yoon are gathering data through standardized questionnaires, interviews, video recordings and monitoring of neural activity in mothers as they interact with their children.
Along with Lai, Yoon and Wang, other team members include Amanda Zangrillo, associate professor and department director of the Severe Behavior Program at the University of Nebraska Medical Center; and Yiwei Zhang, assistant professor at the University of Nebraska at Omaha.
The idea for the project came after Lai and Yoon connected at a University of Nebraska Collaborative Initiative meeting two years ago. Once the team was put together for the project, they applied for funding through the Collaborative with the help of NAECR.
“NAECR really facilitated our collaboration,” Yoon said.
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For the pilot study, mother-child pairs from 12 families — six with children with autism spectrum disorders, six with typically developing children — will visit the NL3 lab for data gathering.
Children are between ages 4 and 8.
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During their three-hour visit, mothers will be fitted with a functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) cap, which measures brain activity. For a 20- to 30-minute play session, the mother and child will play as they do at home, as the fNIRS cap measures the mother's brain activity. After the play session, mothers focus on a white cross on a black computer screen for about 10 minutes, with the fNIRS cap still recording.
Researchers will compare brain activity recorded while looking at the cross on the screen with measurements gathered during play time.
The team is particularly focused on language spoken between the mother and child during their social interaction, including language production and quality, and the amount of language between the pair.
"We also want to compare those activities between families with a child with autism versus a typically developing child," Lai said. "We want to see the difference in brain activity."
After data is gathered for the pilot project, Lai said, the next step is to secure external funding for a larger-scale, multi-year study with more families.
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NAECR Knowledge: Communicating Research to Practice and Policy Audiences
How can researchers best communicate their work to different audiences, including practitioners and policymakers?
The Spring NAECR Knowledge event will focus on effective research communication and will provide valuable insight and practical tips for sharing research across different sectors. Participants will also learn to develop an impactful and informative research brief to highlight their work.
There will be time for questions and discussion following the presentations.
Speakers include:
- Dana Ludvik, Communications & Media Specialist, CYFS
- Michael Medwick, Strategic Communications Manager, First Five Nebraska
- Lisa Poppe, Lead Extension Educator, The Learning Child Team, Nebraska Extension
- LaDonna Werth, Extension Educator, The Learning Child Team, Nebraska Extension
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Presentation Details
NAECR Knowledge: Communicating Research
to Practice and Policy Audiences
Friday, April 7, 2023
Noon – 1 p.m. CDT
Virtual via Zoom
Zoom link will be distributed to registrants prior to the event.
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Save the Date! SRCD Conference 2023
Please join us at the UNL reception in Salt Lake City
Faculty, staff, students, alumni, colleagues and friends are invited to attend the University of Nebraska–Lincoln reception at the upcoming 2023 SRCD Biennial Meeting in Salt Lake City.
The UNL reception is Friday, March 24, from 7 to 9 p.m. in the Salt Palace Convention Center.
The reception is sponsored by the:
- Department of Child, Youth & Family Studies;
- Department of Educational Psychology;
- Department of Psychology;
- Department of Teaching, Learning & Teacher Education;
- Nebraska Academy for Early Childhood Research; and
- Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families & Schools
If you have questions or need additional information, please contact Sommer Fousek at sfousek2@unl.edu.
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Here are recent publications from NAECR researchers:
Caron Clark*, Department of Educational Psychology, University of Nebraska–Lincoln
Kymberly Caddell*, Department of Educational Psychology, University of Nebraska–Lincoln
* Denotes NAECR 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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New! Brady Education Foundation
The foundation is currently accepting research project proposals and existing program evaluation proposals that have the potential to provide data that will inform how to address disparities in educational opportunities associated with race, ethnicity and family income.
Proposal due date: April 1, 2023
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New! 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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New! Office of Research and Economic Development Layman Awards
These awards provide funding for projects that enhance the grantee's ability to obtain external funding to support prominent scholarly work.
Proposal due date: March 31, 2023
Layman Seed Program
Layman Seed Awards provide funding for research projects by early career, non-tenured faculty.
Funding amount: Up to $10,000.
Layman New Directions
The Layman New Directions mechanism provides funding for faculty who are tenured and branching into new research directions or need funding to support pilot/development work towards a next step in a funded research program.
Funding amount: Up to $10,000.
CYFS is available to help faculty conceptualize research projects, develop competitive grant proposals and support grants upon award.
If you are considering a proposal, please contact Maggie Montoya, CYFS proposal development coordinator, at maggie.montoya@unl.edu as soon as possible, as the Layman deadline is fast approaching.
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New! Crane Center for Early Childhood Research and Policy micro-sabbatical program
The Crane Center for Early Childhood Research and Policy is accepting applications for a micro-sabbatical program for early career researchers from diverse backgrounds, including those from underrepresented groups.
Eligible scholars would be funded for a two- to four-week visit to the Crane Center in Columbus, Ohio, to engage with and develop collaborations with Crane-affiliated researchers.
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University of Nebraska–Lincoln Grand Challenges Catalyst Competition
One of the themes of the UNL Grand Challenges Catalyst Competition is early childhood education and development. Two types of support are available:
Planning grants: Proposals submitted in this category must describe the teaming, ideation and development activities necessary for collaborative groups to coalesce around one or more of UNL’s grand challenge themes. The expected outcome for an interdisciplinary team receiving a planning grant is that they will prepare a catalyst award proposal. Planning grant proposals may request up to $150,000 for a maximum 24-month project period.
Catalyst awards: Proposals submitted in this category must describe a plan of work for implementing a goal-based project developed in response to one or more of UNL’s grand challenge themes. The expected outcome for an interdisciplinary team receiving a catalyst award is that they will demonstrate measurable progress toward their goal and project sustainability. Catalyst award proposals may request the level of support necessary to pursue the project goal during a period that may not exceed five years.
Letter of intent due date: Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2023
Proposal due date: April 28, 2023
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Student Funding Forecast: Administration for Children and Families Graduate Student Dissertation Grants
Child Care Dissertation Grants
Estimated award budget: $20,000-$25,000
Estimated proposal due date: April 24, 2023
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Head Start Dissertation Grants
Estimated award budget: $20,000-$25,000
Estimated proposal due date: April 24, 2023
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Behavioral Interventions Scholars Grants
Estimated award budget: $20,000-$25,000
Estimated proposal due date: May 19, 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: May 1, 2023
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Collaborative Science of Home Visiting virtual meeting
Call for proposals
Sept. 27-30, 2023
Arlington, Virginia
The Home Visiting Applied Research Collaborative's (HARC) eighth-annual virtual meeting will showcase innovative, collaborative research from the field that strengthens home visiting’s role in achieving health equity for families and communities.
HARC is seeking abstracts on research that will spark conversations among researchers, practitioners and policymakers on how best to advance the field.
Presentations will be live with recordings posted on HARC's website after the meeting.
Meeting registration will open later this spring.
Proposal due date: Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2023
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Society for Research in Child Development
2023 Biennial Meeting
March 23-25, 2023
Salt Lake City, Utah
Registration is open for the Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD) 2023 Biennial Meeting.
SRCD’s biennial meeting aims to meet the goal of understanding child development through research while serving as a network and forum for its members and attendees.
The primary goal of SRCD is to promote the understanding of child development through research and dissemination. SRCD members conduct theoretical studies, basic and applied research, and policy analyses to understand and enhance child development.
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American Educational Research Association (AERA)
2023 Annual Meeting
April 13-16, 2023
Chicago, Illinois
May 4-5, 2023
Virtual
Each year, the American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting is the world's largest gathering of education researchers and a showcase for groundbreaking, innovative studies in an array of areas.
The 2023 annual meeting Annual Meeting is a dual-component conference, with an in-person event in Chicago and a virtual component in May. Join the meeting for a rewarding experience of ideas, engagement, networking and professional advancement.
AERA strives to advance knowledge about education, to encourage scholarly inquiry related to education, and to promote the use of research to improve education and serve the public good.
Registration deadline: March 10, 2023
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Language, Migration and Education:
Cultivating Linguistic and Cultural Diversity
Call for proposals
Sept. 9, 2023
Carolyn Pope Edwards Hall
UNL City Campus
Lincoln, Nebraska
The M3 (migrant, multicultural and multilingual) Initiative, together with the Department of Teaching, Learning and Teacher Education at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, aims to build community and increase presentation and networking opportunities among students, teachers, teacher educators and researchers interested in the intersection of language, migration and education.
Proposals should focus on educational settings (e.g., Pre-K, community college or university). Priority will be given to proposals that intersect with conference theme topics.
Proposal due date: March 27, 2023
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SREE 2023 Conference:
Embedding Equity for Better Methods, Evidence and Practice
Call for proposals
Sept. 27-30, 2023
Arlington, Virginia
The Society for Research on Educational Effectiveness (SREE) is accepting proposals for symposia, papers and posters for its 2023 conference. The SREE 2023 conference theme is about truly embedding equity into research and practice.
SREE suggests embedding an equity orientation and equitable practices into experimental impact evaluations; embedding lived and front-line expertise with research independence; weaving qualitative and quantitative approaches together in producing evidence of educational improvement; embedding an equity focus into outcome measurement; integrating internal and external validity for rigorous, balanced and useful evidence; and/or integrating causal inference methods into capacity building and practice.
Proposal due date: April 3, 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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MAP Academy Spring 2023 Methodology Applications Series
Featuring James Bovaird
This Friday, March 3, 2023
11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. CDT
Virtual
Please join us this Friday, March 3, when James Bovaird, MAP Academy co-director, will lead a virtual presentation titled, "Treatment Fidelity from a Measurement Perspective."
Treatment fidelity is a multifaceted concept that can be very difficult to measure well. This presentation will draw parallels between treatment fidelity and general psychological and educational measurement, focusing on the concepts of construct explication, reliability, validity and the potential benefits of utilizing treatment fidelity information — or the consequences of failing to do so.
The event is free and open to the public.
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2023 SRCD Biennial Meeting
Please join us at the UNL reception in Salt Lake City
Faculty, staff, students, alumni, colleagues and friends are invited to attend the University of Nebraska–Lincoln reception at the upcoming 2023 SRCD Biennial Meeting in Salt Lake City.
The UNL reception is Friday, March 24, from 7 to 9 p.m. in the Salt Palace Convention Center.
The reception is sponsored by the:
- Department of Child, Youth & Family Studies;
- Department of Educational Psychology;
- Department of Psychology;
- Department of Teaching, Learning & Teacher Education;
- Nebraska Academy for Early Childhood Research; and
- Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families & Schools
If you have questions or need additional information, please contact Sommer Fousek at sfousek2@unl.edu.
Hope to see you there!
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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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MAP Academy Spring 2023 Methodology Applications Series
Featuring Eric Brown
Friday, March 31, 2023
11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. CDT
Virtual
On Friday, March 31, Eric Brown, associate professor at the University of Miami's Miller School of Medicine, will lead a virtual presentation.
The event is free and open to the public.
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NAECR Knowledge: Communicating Research
to Practice and Policy Audiences
Friday, April 7, 2023
Noon – 1:00 p.m. CDT
Virtual
The Spring 2023 NAECR Knowledge event will focus on effective research communication and will provide valuable insight and practical tips for sharing research across different sectors. Participants will also learn to develop an impactful and informative research brief to highlight their work.
There will be time for questions and discussion following the presentations.
The event is free but requires registration.
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MAP Academy Spring 2023 Methodology Applications Series
Featuring Joseph Gardella
Friday, April 28, 2023
11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. CDT
Virtual
On Friday, April 28, Joseph Gardella, postdoctoral research associate at the Interpersonal Violence Research Laboratory, will lead a virtual presentation.
The event is free and open to the public.
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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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