About Us
The Nebraska Academy for Early Childhood Research (NAECR) is housed within the Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families and Schools at UNL’s College of Education and Human Sciences.
NAECR brings together individuals from a variety of disciplines, including researchers in different departments across the University of Nebraska system, to address chronic challenges that affect many young children in Nebraska.
We stimulate and support faculty efforts to pursue high-quality research to help policymakers, early childhood professionals, researchers, educators and others improve the trajectory of all young Nebraskans—especially those who face challenges in achieving academic and life success.
Core activities of NAECR include research grant procurement and execution; formal and informal scholarly interactions and training to build capacity of faculty and graduate students; as well as proactive outreach, translation and dissemination.
Our mission is to engage in, generate and support interdisciplinary research to benefit children age 8 and younger, and enhance the environments within which they learn and grow.
Our Goals
Research
Advance the scientific knowledge base of issues related to early childhood, including development, interventions, systems and policies.
Improve
Enhance the scope, quality and impact of UNL’s grant-supported interdisciplinary early childhood research.
Disseminate
Translate research findings to support the health and well-being of young children.
Impacts
Since 2015, NAECR has supported high-quality research through interdisciplinary and cross-campus collaborations and by translating research findings to support the health and well-being of young children.
$77.8M
CYFS’ research programs have generated approximately $77.8M in early childhood research.
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NAECR facilitates connections with nearly 80 early childhood researchers across the NU system.
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Approximately 40 graduate and undergraduate students have engaged in NAECR research and other scholarly activities.
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NAECR has supported nearly 30 early childhood researchers in the Policy Fellows Program in conjunction with First Five Nebraska.
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NAECR has produced over 170 newsletters that aggregate new early childhood research, funding opportunities,conferences and other resources.
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NAECR has hosted more than 50 conferences, events and workshops.