Nebraska Academy for Early Childhood Research
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Ann Anderson Berry, UNMC
Ann Anderson Berry is a professor in the division of neonatology at the University of Nebraska Medical Center.
Some of her research interests include nutrition of the extremely low birth weight infant, preterm infant protein requirements, human milk fortification, vitamin metabolism and deficiencies, and the global health implications of sepsis in the neonate.
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What is the future direction for your early childhood research?
"Currently our work in fat soluble nutrients — including vitamins A, E, D and carotenoids, as well as specialized pro-resolving mediators (DHA related compounds) — has led us to examine the way these compounds mediate inflammation and immediate pregnancy outcomes. Moving forward, our team is excited to investigate how nutrition and inflammation impact life course health. We know from our work to date that mother’s nutrition during pregnancy impacts the health of her pregnancy and the health and development of her fetus and newborn. Additionally, there is preliminary evidence to support the hypothesis that these early exposures will impact life course health and the development of adult disease, including metabolic syndrome and long-term cardiovascular health of the fetus. Given the nature of nutrition, inflammation and stress, a public health lens is also necessary to both interpret our current results and design interventional studies to assess the impact of improved nutrient intake."
Are there any new research projects or activities you are starting on now?
"We have several new projects, including a NPOD grant that will allow us to investigate the relationship between nutrition and inflammation in pregnancy and the differences in obese versus normal-weight mothers. Given that obese mothers have increased pregnancy complications, and their infants have an increased risk of perinatal complications, understanding how these compounds impact outcomes is particularly relevant.
"Another collaboration we are excited about is the funding we have received from the Board of the University of Agder in Norway to work on life course nutrition in a newly established Priority Research Center on Lifecourse Nutrition. Our objective with this work is to study preconception health and nutrition and its impact on fetal and life course outcomes."
Why is early childhood research important?
"Early childhood research is important as it gives us the opportunity to impact health as tissues are forming and developing. An intervention or a healthy choice in early life has the potential to provide more impact than a treatment or a decade of intervention in adulthood after tissues are formed and less plastic. Additionally, impacting outcomes in the neonatal period sets up a lifetime of health. The investment in early life will have a larger return than investments in the adult population."
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The NAECR Networking series continues
Wednesday, May 1
.
How can researchers and community partners work together to advance early childhood research and practice?
University of Nebraska researchers will present on their latest work in the early childhood field. A panel of community partners will also share their perspectives on early childhood research, working with researchers and translating research into practice.
The event will be from
2 to 4 p.m.
in the
Nebraska Union’s Colonial A Room
, and will conclude with time for networking and making connections.
Those who cannot attend in person may
participate via Zoom
.
NAECR Networking and NAECR Knowledge are an ongoing series of networking and training events designed to enhance early childhood research across the NU system.
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Thanks to all Nebraska faculty, staff, students, alumni, colleagues and friends who were able to join us at the UNL reception at the SRCD Biennial Meeting in Baltimore March 21.
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Here are recent publications from NAECR researchers:
Abbie Raikes, Health Promotion & Behavior, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Natalie Koziol, Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families & Schools, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
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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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Student funding
New!
2019 Student and Early Career Council Dissertation Research Funding Awards
The 11th annual Student Early Career Committee of the Society for Research in Child Development is accepting applications for graduate student dissertation research funding.
Applicants must be graduate students in a field related to child development, and must be SRCD student members at the time of the application.
Proposals are due
May 1, 2019
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New!
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.
Spencer Research Awards Program
Award budget: $525,000-$1,000,000
Project duration: Up to 5 years
Proposals are due
May 22, 2019
.
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Research-Practice Partnership Grants Program
Award budget: Up to $400,000
Project duration: Up to 3 years
Proposals are due
May 24, 2019
.
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Large Research Grants on Education Program
Award budget: $125,000-$500,000
Project duration: 1-5 years
Proposals are due
June 20, 2019
.
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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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Student funding
OPRE Early Care and Education Research Scholars: Head Start Graduate Student Research Grants
The Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation has opened competition for Head Start Graduate Student Research Grants to support dissertation research by advanced graduate students who are working in partnership with Head Start programs and with faculty mentors.
Competitive applications will demonstrate a collaborative partnership with their program partners and pursue research questions that directly inform local, state or federal policy relevant to multiple early care and education practices.
Six awards are expected; total funding available is $150,000.
Letters of intent are due
April 8, 2019
.
Proposals are due
May 8, 2019
.
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Student funding
OPRE Early Care and Education Research Scholars: Child Care Research Scholars
The Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation is soliciting applications for Child Care Research Scholars grants to support dissertation research on child care policy issues.
These grants are meant to build capacity in the research field to focus research on questions that have direct implications for child care policy decision-making and program administration, and to foster mentoring relationships between faculty members and high-quality doctoral students.
Six awards are expected; total funding available is $150,000.
Letters of intent are due
April 8, 2019
.
Proposals are due
May 9, 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
May 1, 2019
, and
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
May 2, 2019
, and
Jan. 2, 2020
.
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NIH: Reducing Health Disparities among Minority and Underserved Children
This NIH initiative encourages research that targets the reduction of health disparities among children, including a focus on ethnic and racial minority children and populations of underserved children.
Specific targeted areas of research include bio-behavioral studies that incorporate multiple factors that influence child health disparities (biological, lifestyle factors, environmental, social, economic, cultural and family influences); studies that target the specific health promotion needs of children with a known illness and/or disability; and studies that test and evaluate the comparative effectiveness of health promotion interventions conducted in traditional and nontraditional settings.
Proposals are due
May 7, 2020
.
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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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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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Nebraska Healthy Kids Summit
April 23-24, 2019
Nebraska Inovation Campus
Lincoln, Nebraska
The Nebraska Healthy Kids Summit promotes healthy eating and active living in Nebraska communities. This event connects stakeholders to explore research, practice and advocacy approaches, leading to a joint call to action promoting healthy eating and active living for children and families in Nebraska communities.
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New!
Pediatric Research Seminars
The UNMC Department of Pediatrics and the Child Health Research Institute sponsor Pediatric Research Seminars on the third Friday of each month. The location of the seminars alternates between UNMC and Children’s Hospital & Medical Center.
Researchers may also attend via Zoom.
April 19, 2019
Noon – 1 p.m.
UNMC, DRC1, 1005
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Spring 2019 SBSRC Interdisciplinary Brown Bag Series
The Social and Behavioral Sciences Research Consortium is hosting a brown bag series on community-based participatory research (CBPR).
CBPR is an approach to research that involves equitable partnerships among researchers, communities and organizations. Partners are involved in all phases and aspects of the research process. CBPR practitioners benefit from highly relevant and generalizable findings with real-world, broader impacts.
CBPR Community and Researcher Panel
April 10, 2019
Noon – 1 p.m.
Nebraska Union, Regency Suite
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67th Annual Nebraska Symposium on Motivation
"Nature and Psychology: How the Natural World Shapes our Cognition"
April 11-12, 2019
University of Nebraska–Lincoln
Nebraska Union
The primary goal of this symposium is to delve deeper into the question of the mechanism(s) underlying the positive effects of natural environments through bringing together researchers from various disciplines.
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Pre-K CLASS Observation Training
April 29-30, 2019
8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.
University of Nebraska–Lincoln
Prem S. Paul Research Center at Whittier School
Room 136
Participants will learn how development affects classroom interactions and the link between effective teacher-child interactions as it relates to learning. Training includes an overview of the CLASS measure and its uses, and will prepare participants to assess teaching quality based on the CLASS system.
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NAECR Networking: Connecting with Community Research Partners
May 1, 2019
Nebraska Union, Colonial A
2 – 4 p.m.
How can researchers and community partners work together to advance early childhood research and practice?
Join us for the next NAECR Networking event, where University of Nebraska researchers will present on their latest work in the early childhood field. A panel of community partners will also share their perspectives on early childhood research, working with researchers and translating research into practice.
The event will conclude with time for networking and making connections.
Participants may also attend the first part of the event via Zoom
.
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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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