Purpose
As part of our forward-looking launch into the next 20 years, the CYFS Signature Research Impact Program was developed to address critical issues affecting Nebraska’s children, youth, families, schools and communities. The purpose of this funding opportunity is to support high-impact research in the social, behavioral and educational sciences that is relevant to Nebraskans, while fostering collaboration and generating pilot data to secure future external funding.
Funding for this program is provided by generous private donations directed to the center through the University of Nebraska Foundation, in alignment with its Only in Nebraska campaign priority to invest in Transformational Research and Innovation.
More program details are outlined below. If you have any questions, please contact us.
Program Details
Up to three applicants will be selected to receive funds. The maximum award request is $20,000 for up to two years.
A Notice of Intent (NOI) to submit is required to allow adequate planning. NOIs are not binding. The Request for Applications (RFA) provides comprehensive guidance for preparing both the NOI and full proposal application.
Download Full RFADeadlines
- NOIs are due by 5 p.m. CDT on March 28, 2025.
- Full proposals are due by 5 p.m. CDT on April 30, 2025.
Eligibility
To apply, principal investigators must be a:
- Faculty member at the University of Nebraska (any campus) AND
- CYFS research affiliate
Important notes:
- Current research affiliates are listed in the CYFS Research Network.
- For inquiries about becoming a research affiliate, contact Susan Sheridan, Director, at ssheridan2@unl.edu.
- Post-doctoral fellows, graduate students and staff are not eligible to serve as lead PI on an application, but may serve as co-investigator, key personnel and graduate student investigators.
Expectations
- Research must address issues affecting Nebraska's children, families, schools and/or communities.
- Eligible projects may include:
- Pilot data collection for feasibility or proof of concept.
- Analyses of secondary or existing datasets.
- Other research methods that provide pilot data to support future funding proposals.
- All research designs are welcome, including quantitative, qualitative, mixed and small-n studies.
- Submission of an external funding application is required within one year of grant completion.
- All funded projects must be administratively managed by CYFS, including future grant submissions and awards related to the pilot project.
- Applicants are encouraged to use one or more CYFS core facilities as part of their research plan.
- If CYFS support services are included in the proposal plan, the PI must discuss project needs with the director of each core facility, define the scope of work required of the core facility and document these costs in the project budget.
Funding Criteria
Applications must meet the following criteria:
- Mission Alignment: Projects must align with CYFS’ mission and at least one of its six thematic areas:
- Academic Intervention & Learning
- Early Childhood Education & Development
- Social, Emotional & Behavioral Well-being
- Biological Bases of Learning & Behavior
- Rural Schools & Communities
- Research, Measurement & Evaluation Methods
- Funding Limits: Maximum funding is $20,000 in total direct costs for a period of up to two years. Requests exceeding these limits will not be considered. Indirect costs (F&A) are not allowed.
- Nebraska Relevance: Research must address issues impacting Nebraska's children, families, schools and/or communities. Applications must document this relevance.
- Partnership: Collaboration with field-based partners is strongly encouraged.
- External Funding Readiness: Projects should be designed to position research teams for competitive external funding opportunities upon completion.
- Grant Submission Plan: A clear plan and timeline for submitting external grant applications is required. Any resulting external grant submissions and awards must be administered by CYFS.
Timeline
- March 28, 2025: Notice of Intent to submit application due at 5 p.m. CDT
- April 30, 2025: Proposals due at 5 p.m. CDT
- May-June 2025: Proposals reviewed and signature impact program(s) awarded
- July 1, 2025: Earliest possible start date
- Jan. 1 and July 1 (annual): Project performance report due
- Oct. 1, 2026 (or 90 days after grant end)
- Final performance report due
- Timeline for external grant submission, within one year of grant end
- Communicate with CYFS proposal development coordinator and develop proposal development/submission plan
- January–December 2027
- Compete for external funding to formally evaluate programs
- Plan with partners for sustainability and scale up
About CYFS
What is CYFS?
The Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families & Schools is an interdisciplinary research center in the College of Education and Human Sciences at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. The center’s mission is to make a positive difference in people’s lives through research in the social, behavioral and educational sciences. Learn more.
What is the CYFS Research Network?
The CYFS Research Network is a dynamic tool designed to foster connections among University of Nebraska researchers in the social, behavioral and educational sciences — and to share their life-changing work. The network includes nearly 100 research affiliates with expertise in various disciplines who conduct research in partnership with CYFS.
What are CYFS Core Facilities?
CYFS provides an array of highly specialized research supports at an hourly rate. Our experienced team can also help share your research through the right channels and with the right audiences to extend its impact. These core facilities are available to support your research plan:
View rates