With artificial intelligence — AI — becoming increasingly integrated into daily life, researchers have the opportunity to incorporate the fast-evolving, cutting-edge technology into their work.
Early childhood researchers discussed strategies, tools and best practices for incorporating AI into their work during the fall NAECR Knowledge event Oct. 7.
For 10 years, the Nebraska Academy for Early Childhood Research (NAECR) has advanced high-quality early childhood research and collaboration at the University of Nebraska.
Moving forward into the next 10 years and beyond, NAECR is focused on continuing to provide the tools, support and programs researchers need to ensure their work has the greatest impact on improving children’s lives.
The Nebraska Academy for Early Childhood Research has selected six faculty members to serve as Policy Fellows for the 2025-26 academic year.
The NAECR Policy Fellows Program is designed to educate early childhood researchers on policy processes, impacts and relationships to research; to provide policymakers with insight into the latest early childhood research at the University of Nebraska; and to generate collaboration among researchers and policymakers to develop effective research agendas that enrich early childhood experiences.
New funding is available to help Nebraska researchers strengthen their data and analyses.
The Nebraska Academy for Methodology, Analytics and Psychometrics (MAP Academy) is seeking proposals for a competitive funding opportunity created to enhance the rigor of field-based human subjects research at the University of Nebraska.
For many Nebraska families, finding affordable child care can seem like piecing together an impossible puzzle.
Parents juggle waitlists, long commutes and tough choices between work and staying home — all while early childhood teachers themselves face low pay, long hours and stress.
Autism is the fastest-growing disability category in Nebraska. About 30% of autistic children do not develop vocal speech by age 4 and require augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) — non-verbal methods such as gestures, facial expressions, picture cards and tablets to communicate.
Children who are breastfed as infants are less likely to develop obesity. However, despite recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, only 25% of infants in the U.S. are exclusively breastfed for the first six months.
As many as 70% of mothers experience problems with breastfeeding, contributing to lower rates — particularly among Black Americans (17.2%) and rural residents (18%). Research suggests these low breastfeeding rates may compound potential nutrition-related health disparities from the start of life.
Because university researchers often use different methods and measures, it can be difficult to compare results across studies.
Amanda Prokasky, MAP Academy senior research specialist, and Lorey Wheeler, MAP Academy director, are collaborating with five other universities to develop a data coordination center to support cross-site analyses and help share findings more effectively.
