Nebraska Academy for Early Childhood Research

Aug. 10, 2026

NU Collaboration Initiative Annual Meeting Oct. 16


Save the date for the Collaboration Initiative internal grant program annual meeting on Friday, Oct. 16, 2026, at Nebraska Innovation Campus in Lincoln.


The primary purpose of the Collaboration Initiative is to enhance the competitiveness of the University of Nebraska faculty for federal grant funding by fully leveraging the intellectual capacity and research resources across the NU campuses. The Fiscal Year 2028 request for applications focuses on a single, flexible grant type.


This single-year seed grant is designed to facilitate research collaborations among faculty in any discipline that will help them to compete for federal extramural funding.


Additional information and the RFA will be shared soon.


Learn more.

Nebraska Child Care Campaign launches Aug. 24


A steering committee representing early childhood partners in Nebraska will introduce a new statewide campaign designed to bring together business leaders, community organizations, providers, parents, educators, chambers of commerce, nonprofits and civic leaders around a shared vision for childcare in Nebraska.


The Nebraska Child Care Campaign will launch Monday, Aug. 24, with an event at the Lincoln Marriott Cornhusker Hotel, 333 S. 13th St. The event will be from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.


This event will unveil the details of the campaign, while inviting organizations from across the state to help build a movement focused on strengthening Nebraska through affordable, quality childcare.


Learn more.

Here are recent publications from NAECR researchers:


Connection to Nature and Psychological Well-being: The Role of Mindfulness and Spirituality

Simin Kazemi, Child, Youth & Family Studies, University of Nebraska–Lincoln

Julia Torquati*, Child, Youth & Family Studies, University of Nebraska–Lincoln

Tuyen Huynh, Psychology, University of South Carolina


Happy Healthy Homes Virtual Intervention Improved Rural Family Child Care Home Provider Mealtimes: Partial and Sustained Effects

Divya Patel, Nutrition, Case Western Reserve University

Dipti Dev*, Child, Youth & Family Studies, University of Nebraska–Lincoln

Steven Pan, Biostatistics & Epidemiology, University of Oklahoma

Bethany Williams, Center for Science in the Public Interest

Alicia Salvatore, Human Development & Family Sciences, University of Delaware

Susan Sisson, Nutritional Sciences, University of Oklahoma

 

 * Denotes NAECR Researcher

** Denotes NAECR Student Researcher

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.


Internal funding opportunities by campus:

UNK

UNL

UNMC

UNO

New! Administration for Children and Families OPRE: Reflective Supervision in Home Visiting Research Awards


The Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation (OPRE) is soliciting applications for Reflective Supervision in Home Visiting Research Awards. This funding opportunity will support projects that use the Supervisory Practices in Reflective Supervision-Home Visiting measure to research and evaluate reflective supervision in early childhood home visiting.


These awards will support partnerships with home visiting programs to do one or more of the following: 1) Further how reflective supervision is measured; 2) Use SuPRS-HV to understand how reflective supervision practices may affect outcomes; 3) Develop tools to help home visiting programs use SuPRS-HV to improve practice; and/or 4) Use SuPRS-HV to describe how reflective supervision practices vary.


Proposal due date: Aug. 24, 2026


Learn more.

Caplan Foundation for Early Childhood


The Caplan Foundation for Early Childhood is an incubator of promising research and development projects that appear likely to improve the welfare of young children, from infancy through 7 years, in the United States.


Funding is provided in the areas of early childhood welfare, early childhood education and play and parenting education.


Letter of inquiry due date: Sept. 30, 2026


Learn more.

New! 2026 Child Care Professionals Renewal Summit


Aug. 28-29, 2026

Camp Comeca – Cozad, Nebraska


If you work with childcare professionals in Nebraska, please let them know about the 2026 Child Care Professionals Renewal Summit.


The summit is designed to give childcare professionals an opportunity to focus on their own well-being while gaining practical tools and strategies to strengthen the care and learning environments they create for children and families. Participants will receive 8 licensing hours. Space is intentionally limited to create an interactive, workshop-style experience with meaningful opportunities to learn, connect and recharge.

 

This year's presenters include:


  • Josh Arias, who will lead an interactive, art-based experience focused on creativity, collaboration, and shared vision-building; and
  • Hayley Jackson Perez, who will facilitate engaging sessions on building positive workplace and school cultures and navigating challenging professional dynamics.

 

Contact Danae Dinkel with questions at dmdinkel@unomaha.edu


Register for the event.

New! Thriving Children, Families and Communities Conference


Sept. 22, 2026

Kearney, Nebraska


Join partners from across Nebraska for a full day of connection, collaboration and problem-solving focused on Nebraska’s most pressing early childhood challenges.


Learn more.

New! Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs

2027 Annual Conference


Call for Proposals


March 6-9, 2027

Washington, D.C.


The AMCHP Annual Conference aims to highlight the impacts of maternal and child health programs on women, children and families, and to provide participants with tools and resources to develop, enhance and sustain programs and services.


Presenters will have the opportunity to showcase their work on a prominent stage through various session formats, including Workshops, Lightning Talks, Student and Early Career Professional Grand Rounds, and Discussions.


Proposal due date: Sept. 30, 2026


Learn more.

Society for Research in Child Development

2027 Biennial Meeting


Call for Proposals


April 8-10, 2027

Atlanta, Georgia


SRCD's primary goal is to promote the understanding of child development through research and dissemination. The theme for the 2027 biennial meeting is "Prioritizing Children: Innovation, Inclusion and Impact in Developmental Science."


Meeting attendees include professionals and graduate students in psychology, human development, family studies, education, public policy, sociology, social work, psychiatry, pediatrics and public health.


Proposal due date: Sept. 3, 2026


Learn more.

UNK-Community Early Childhood Conference


Sept. 18-19, 2026

University of Nebraska at Kearney

Kearney, Nebraska


Registration is now open for the 2026 UNK-Community Early Childhood Conference. Conference presenters will share knowledge, resources and teaching strategies related to social emotional development, high-quality interactions and outdoor play.


Learn more.

Nebraska Child Care Campaign Launch


Aug. 24, 2026

11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

The Lincoln Marriott Cornhusker Hotel

333 S. 13th St.

Lincoln, Nebraska


A steering committee representing early childhood partners in Nebraska will introduce a new statewide campaign designed to bring together business leaders, community organizations, providers, parents, educators, chambers of commerce, nonprofits and civic leaders around a shared vision for childcare in Nebraska.


This event will unveil the details of the campaign, while inviting organizations from across the state to help build a movement focused on strengthening Nebraska through affordable, quality childcare.


Learn more.

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.


First Five Nebraska


Voices for Children


Nebraska Legislative Calendar

NAECR Student Researchers


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


Early childhood courses


NAECR student researchers


Faculty input form for research opportunities

Find a Researcher


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


Early childhood researchers

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.

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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Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families & Schools

College of Education and Human Sciences

60 Carolyn Pope Edwards Hall, University of Nebraska-Lincoln | Lincoln, NE 68588-0235 US

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