University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Boys Town Postdoctoral Fellowship: Research Training Focused on Youth with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders

Co-Principal Investigator: Kristin Duppong Hurley

The University of Nebraska's postdoctoral research program will capitalize on an existing partnership with Boys Town, a national service provider of intervention services to children with or at risk for disabilities, to provide postdoctoral fellows with extensive research training in special education for students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD). The overarching goal of this program is to prepare three fellows (with 24 to 27 months of training each) to engage in rigorous special education research and make significant contributions to the lives of children with EBD.

The program will support fellows in developing (a) statistical and methodological skills necessary to conduct meaningful large-scale research projects, (b) knowledge of special education for students with EBD, (c) experience collaborating with practitioners in the field, and (d) experience managing grants and writing grant applications. Fellows will work under the supervision of a mentor or group of mentors in a highly supportive multidisciplinary research environment and participate in carefully planned activities based on their interests, strengths, and desired skills. In their first year, fellows will collaborate with other researchers on ongoing IES-funded and Boys Town pilot research focused on a variety of special education issues for youth with EBD, including transition/drop-out prevention, family and student engagement in school and education, intervention implementation and fidelity research, and health-related transition preparation. Fellows will also attend professional seminars on topics central to children with EBD and audit courses and workshops on statistical and methodological skills and grant writing. In their second year, fellows will implement a study in which they will develop a research design, plan data collection procedures, supervise data collection, analyze data, and report/disseminate the results. Fellows will also participate in grant-writing activities and will be expected to play a significant role in the conceptualization, writing, editing, and submission process. Throughout their two years, fellows will meet with their mentors regularly to establish and reflect on their goals, customize their research and training activities, and assess their progress.

Postdoctoral Fellows

Aitken, Angelique
Farley, Jennifer