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Category: Grant Related

Study finds intergenerational co-parenting benefits children’s well-being

A recent study examined the association between intergenerational co-parenting and child social-emotional development. Learn more about the project in the CYFS Research Network.

Family dynamics among caregivers tend to be complicated. They can become even more complex when grandparents take on co-parenting roles.

Weiman Xu, postdoctoral fellow at the Nebraska Academy for Methodology, Analytics and Psychometrics (MAP Academy), recently explored the association between intergenerational co-parenting and children’s social-emotional development. Funded by a graduate scholars grant from the Buffett Early Childhood Institute, Xu investigated the role grandparents play in raising children and how co-parenting between grandparents and parents relate to children’s well-being. Full Article

New database streamlines data collection, support for Nebraska deafblind students, educators

An instructor works with a young student at the Nebraska Center for the Education of Children who are Blind or Visually Impaired in Nebraska City.

Deafblindness is a combination of vision loss and hearing difference that makes accessing the environment, language and communication more complex. It varies in severity and type and can be present at birth or acquired at any age.

With both vision and hearing impacted, access to the world often requires individualized supports for independent living, education and social interaction. Full Article

Program expands emotional regulation support for autistic students

Sungeun Kang, assistant professor of school psychology, recently led a project to refine and expand an intervention program designed to support regulation among autistic children in school settings. Learn more about this project in the CYFS Research Network.

A large proportion of children with autism spectrum disorder often struggle with irritability and behavior challenges stemming from emotional dysregulation —  the inability to manage emotional responses. These struggles can include intense, prolonged anger, anxiety, sadness that are disproportionate to situations. Full Article

Research uncovers financial stress as a key challenge for Nebraska mental health practitioners

From left, Davianna Daydreamer and Jace Meunier, graduate research assistants, and Mun Yuk Chin, assistant professor of counseling psychology, are working to identify how financial stress develops for mental health practitioners, and explore how it impacts their work. Learn more about this project in the CYFS Research Network.

Like other states, Nebraska faces a critical shortage of mental health practitioners. That shortage that may limit some communities’ access to mental health care.

Shortages in rural areas are sometimes due to practitioners seeking larger communities in which to practice, but other causes statewide include burnout and work-related stress — common challenges among those in health care professions. Full Article

Brain imaging offers insights into cochlear implant success

Yingying Wang, resident faculty of the Center for Brain, Biology and Behavior (CB3) and director of the Neuroimaging for Language, Literacy and Learning Lab (NL3), right, works with graduate research assistant Dania Javaid. Learn more about this project in the CYFS Research Network.

For someone with hearing loss, a successful cochlear implant can be life-changing. But because outcomes vary, determining candidates most likely to benefit from the procedure is crucial.

A cochlear implant (CI) is a complex electronic device that can improve hearing in individuals with severe to profound hearing loss. While the implant does not restore normal hearing and differs from hearing aids, which amplify sounds, it does provide a useful representation of sounds by stimulating the auditory nerve. The device’s success depends on how well the auditory nerve functions. Full Article

Researchers explore ways to identify, enhance resilience among youth

From left, graduate research assistants Deogratias Musoke and Ni Ketut Wilmayani are working with Alex Mason, professor of child, youth and family studies, and CYFS, to explore resilience among vulnerable youth in residential care. Learn more about this project in the CYFS Research Network.

As many as three-quarters of the nearly 25,000 American youth in residential care have experienced significant trauma, including maltreatment, poverty and, for many, systemic racism and discrimination.

Research suggests that such trauma increases risk for mental and behavioral health problems. However, some youth in residential care with trauma still display steadfast resilience, functioning well even in the presence of significant risk. Full Article

CYFS invites proposals for 2026 Signature Research Impact Program

For more than 20 years, the Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families and Schools has worked to make a positive difference in people’s lives through research in the social, behavioral and educational sciences.

Building on this foundation, the center is launching the second round of its Signature Research Impact Program — a funding opportunity designed to support high-impact research that benefits Nebraska’s children, families, schools and communities. Full Article

MAP Academy selects two faculty to receive AADI Catalyst awards

The Nebraska Academy for Methodology, Analytics and Psychometrics (MAP Academy) is awarding $10,000 through a competitive funding opportunity created to enhance the rigor of field-based human subjects research at the University of Nebraska.

These awards were made possible by a grant from the Nebraska Research Initiative. Full Article