Academic Year 2018-19
Learn more about our current active grants.
| Description | This project will pilot and evaluate the effectiveness, acceptability, and feasibility of a workplace health and wellness intervention for teachers in a public school. More info |
| Principal Investigator | Lisa Sanetti |
| Funding | $6,582 — Windsor (Conn.) Public Schools |
| Dates | 7/1/2018 to 6/30/2019 |
| Description | “Collaborative Research: Windows of Opportunity-Understanding Black Male Engineers in the Pursuit of Advanced Degrees” will center on understanding how to grow the pipeline of Black males acquiring advanced degrees in the field of engineering. More info |
| Principal Investigator | Erik Hines |
| Funding | $199,994 — National Science Foundation |
| Dates | 9/1/2018 to 8/31/2021 |
| Description | This project utilizes cutting-edge research that will provide us with a better understanding about which areas of the brain are involved in successful reading development. It involves the implementation of a research-based reading intervention with strong evidence of increasing the achievement of children with reading disabilities. Before and after the intervention, we conduct fMRI neuroimaging scans to examine the cortical change resulting from intervention. In addition, we conduct scans every three weeks using functional near-infrared spectroscope (fNIRS) to examine how cognitive changes occur during the course of intervention. More info |
| Principal Investigator | Devin Kearns |
| Funding | $144,305 — U.S. Department of Health and Human Services / National Institute of Child Health and Human Development |
| Dates | 8/23/2017 to 6/30/2021 |
| Description | The Connecticut K-3 Literacy Initiative (CK3LI) was created to train teachers and administrators in the best research-based literacy practices and to address the state’s achievement gap from the earliest grades. The goal is to build state capacity to support schools and districts implement the systems and practices that are necessary to narrow the achievement gap in reading within a multi-tiered or RTI framework. CK3LI includes a model that incorporates a school-wide reading improvement plan, a comprehensive literacy assessment system, high-quality classroom reading instruction (Tier 1), evidence-based supplemental intensive reading interventions (Tier 2 & 3), ongoing coaching, targeted professional development for teachers, and partnerships with parents. Through CK3LI, the Center for Behavioral Education and Research has supported more than 50 schools across 19 districts in Connecticut. More info |
| Principal Investigator | Michael Coyne |
| Funding | $4,869,949 — Connecticut State Department of Education |
| Dates | 7/1/2015 to 6/30/2019 |
Connecticut Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Other Related Disabilities (LEND) Project
| Description | The purpose of the LEND training program is to improve the health of infants, children, and adolescents with disabilities by preparing trainees from diverse professional disciplines to assume leadership roles in their respective fields and by ensuring high levels of interdisciplinary clinical competence. Funding will support multi-disciplinary research, personnel preparation, outreach, and program development for individuals with disabilities and their families. More info |
| Principal Investigator | George Sugai |
| Department | Educational Psychology |
| Funding | $119,832 — U.S. Department of Health and Human Services / Health Resources and Services Administration |
| Dates | 7/1/2016 to 6/30/2021 |
| Description |
The Connecticut State Department of Education subcontracted with UConn’s Center for Behavioral Education and Research (CBER) to develop a Northeast Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports Training of Trainers (NEPBIS TOT). The goal of NEPBIS TOT is to increase PBIS training and coaching capacity in Connecticut and the Northeast by (a) establishing a standard approach to PBIS training and coaching, (b) training individuals (current and future PBIS trainers) accepted into the NEPBIS TOT in this approach, (c) developing a rigorous endorsement process (including on-going training, coaching, and performance feedback), and (d) ultimately endorsing a cadre of Northeast PBIS Trainers. More info |
| Principal Investigator(s) | Brandi Simonsen-Gaines, George Sugai, Jennifer Freeman |
| Funding | $552,564 — U.S. Department of Education / Office of Elementary and Secondary Education |
| Dates | 12/1/2014 to 6/30/2019 |
| Description |
This longitudinal, mixed-methods study seeks to identify how teacher education programs can best support beginning teachers’ enactment of ambitious mathematics instruction. It draws on survey, interview, and classroom observation data to examine the influence of 175 beginning teachers’ individual characteristics, teacher education learning opportunities, and school contexts on their instruction. More info |
| Principal Investigator(s) | Dorothea Anagnostopoulos, Tutita Casa |
| Funding | $424,700 — National Science Foundation / Directorate for Education and Human Resources |
| Dates | 10/1/2015 to 3/31/2019 |
Erik Hines is co-principal investigator on an NSF-funded research project focused on growing the pipeline of Black males acquiring advanced degrees in the field of engineering. (Peter Morenus/UConn)
| Description | This longitudinal, mixed-methods study seeks to identify how teacher education programs can best support beginning teachers' enactment of ambitious instruction in elementary mathematics and English language arts. The study draws on survey, interview and classroom observation data to investigate the influence of 175 beginning teachers' individual characteristics, teacher education learning opportunities, and school contexts on their instruction. More info |
| Principal Investigator | Dorothea Anagnostopoulos |
| Funding | $204,120 — Spencer Foundation |
| Dates | 10/1/2015 to 9/30/2019 |
| Description |
The major goals of the project are to document the areas of leadership that constitute the focus of 25 school districts’ principal evaluation programs; analyze the relationship between evaluation policy focus and principals’ leadership behaviors; and analyze the relationship between principals’ leadership behaviors and student performance. More info |
| Principal Investigator | Morgaen Donaldson |
| Funding | $1,399,024 — U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences |
| Dates | 7/1/2016 to 6/30/2019 |
| Description |
The purpose of the Early Childhood Personnel Center is to facilitate the development, implementation, and evaluation of integrated and comprehensive systems of personnel development (CSPD) for the early childhood workforce serving infants and young children with disabilities eligible for Part C and Part B(619) programs under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). ECPC generates knowledge, provides technical assistance, and facilitates leadership collaboration. More info |
| Principal Investigator | George Sugai |
| Funding | $34,555 — U.S. Department of Education |
| Dates | 1/1/2018 to 12/31/2022 |
| Description | Research from diverse cultures demonstrates that first-born children are more likely to be overweight than their younger siblings during early childhood and beyond. In the context of our obesity epidemic, it is therefore timely to characterize parenting differences between siblings that might explain such differences. Capitalizing on the extensive data collection currently occurring as part of a prospective, randomized, controlled, intervention trial involving first-born infants, the proposed research will enroll their second-born siblings in order to describe differences in parenting during infancy of consecutively born siblings while also evaluating the impact of genetics related to obesity-risk, appetite, and temperament on infant growth during the first year after birth.
The grant follows a longitudinal cohort from a parenting intervention designed to increase responsive parenting around feeding practices. My role is on longitudinal data analysis of treatment effects on BMI. More info |
| Principal Investigator | Eric Loken |
| Funding | $26,983 — U.S. Department of Health and Human Services / National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases |
| Dates | 8/23/2016 to 7/31/2019 |
| Description | The purpose of this study is to investigate the efficacy of the Strategic and Interactive Writing Instruction (SIWI) professional development (PD) program for improving the knowledge and instructional practices of teachers and the writing and language outcomes for students in third through sixth grade who are deaf or hard of hearing (D/HH). More info |
| Principal Investigator | Hannah Dostal |
| Funding | $335,324 — U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences |
| Dates | 8/1/2017 to 7/31/2021 |
| Description |
This study evaluates the expansion of federally funded, means-tested prekindergarten programs in 13 communities across Connecticut. The evaluation explores the effects of the expansion on the teacher labor market, student learning, and family engagement while also estimating cost effectiveness. More info |
| Principal Investigator(s) | Casey Cobb, Jennie Weiner, Hannah Dostal, Tamika La Salle, Bianca Montrosse-Moorhead |
| Funding | $987,090 — U.S. Department of Education |
| Dates | 8/1/2015 to 6/30/2019 |
| Description | The funding supports a National Center for Research on Gifted Education (NCRGE) at the University of Connecticut to address issues of underrepresented populations in gifted programs. The Center examines the extent of gifted programming and student participation; identifying districts and schools that show high achievement growth rates among gifted students, including those from underserved groups; and exploring how these sites successfully identified, served, and retained students from underserved populations in gifted programs. NCRGE is also examining gifted students’ mathematics and reading/language arts achievement under different service options with a focus on underserved populations. More info |
| Principal Investigator(s) | Del Siegle, E. Jean Gubbins, D. Betsy McCoach, Christopher Rhoads |
| Funding | $5,765,710 — U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences |
| Dates | 10/1/2014 to 9/30/2019 |
| Description | The purpose of this project is to explore malleable factors that contribute to online reading success among adolescents in the discipline of science. This will enable the field to design scientifically based instructional interventions for testing. More info |
| Principal Investigator(s) | Donald Leu, D. Betsy McCoach, Christopher Rhoads |
| Funding | $602,879 — U.S. Department of Education |
| Dates | 7/1/2017 to 6/30/2019 |
| Description | This project collects and analyzes qualitative data on the structures, systems, and norms related to instructional coaching across four educational systems. The project will answer questions about how and why coaching is embedded into particular systems. More info |
| Principal Investigator | Sarah Woulfin |
| Funding | $49,300 — Spencer Foundation |
| Dates | 10/1/2016 to 2/28/2019 |
| Description | This study focuses on optimizing the student learning impact of the GlobalEd 2 (GE2) curriculum while reducing the duration and conferencing to make it more applicable across the academic year. More info |
| Principal Investigator | Scott Brown |
| Funding | $189,635 — U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences |
| Dates | 7/1/2017 to 6/30/2020 |
| Description | The funding supports a Health Policy Research Scholar. The goal of Health Policy Research Scholars is to create a large cadre of diverse doctoral students from multiple (nonclinical, research-focused) disciplines — students whose research, connections, and leadership will inform and influence policy toward a culture of health. The program aims to recruit doctoral students from a variety of social sciences (e. g., urban planning, health, economics, ethnography, education, social work, etc.) who are trained to be researchers. More info |
| Principal Investigator | D. Betsy McCoach |
| Funding | $120,000 — Robert Wood Johnson Foundation |
| Dates | 9/1/2016 to 8/31/2021 |
| Description |
The National Science Foundation and the Robert Noyce Foundation supports funding science teacher preparation for high-needs schools. Awards in the amount of $30,000 are granted each year to six future science teachers enrolled at the UConn Avery Point campus. In addition to defraying tuition costs, the awards compensate research projects with marine science faculty, underwrite professional conference travel, and provide $1,000 in science supplies. Recipients agree to take full-time teaching positions in high-needs schools or repay their scholarship. More info |
| Principal Investigator | John Settlage, Suzanne Wilson |
| Funding | $1,199,568 — National Science Foundation / Directorate for Education and Human Resources |
| Dates | 10/1/2014 to 9/30/2020 |
Husky Sport
| Description |
Husky Sport is a community-campus partnership that utilizes the power of sport to connect and empower partners from the city of Hartford and University of Connecticut. This grant provides funding for personnel, materials/supplies, and travel to support physical activity and nutrition programming for North Hartford youth who are eligible for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. More info |
| Principal Investigator(s) | Jennifer McGarry, Justin Evanovich |
| Funding | $1,238,749 — USDA / Food and Nutrition Service |
| Dates | 10/1/2015 to 3/31/2019 |
| Description | More info |
| Principal Investigator | Jennifer McGarry |
| Funding | $456,913 — USDA / Food and Nutrition Service |
| Dates | 10/1/2018 to 9/30/2021 |
| Description | Project CALI is designed to help general education and special education co-teachers improve the quantity and quality of content-area instruction in middle school classrooms. More info |
| Principal Investigator | Devin Kearns |
| Funding | $699,108 — U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences |
| Dates | 7/1/2015 to 6/30/2019 |
| Description | We are developing a sequence of four courses on intensive intervention for in-service special education teachers. The courses involve online components that involve the use of the Lightboard technology to increase the clarity and teacher interest. The courses also have aligned coaching supports that involve the use of technology to make it possible to do observations without constant travel. More info |
| Principal Investigator | Devin Kearns |
| Funding | $402,638 — U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences |
| Dates | 2/1/2017 to 9/30/2021 |
| Description | Project LIFT (Learning Informs Focused Teaching) focuses on teacher perceptions of advanced academic potential and the use of instructional practices that may encourage and develop students’ potential. The project engages teachers at grades 1-3 in infusing increased emphasis on questioning, and critical and creative thinking into language arts and mathematics lessons to promote student development of high-potential behaviors. More info |
| Principal Investigator(s) | Catherine Little, Rebecca Eckert, Christopher Rhoads |
| Funding | $2,406,770 — U.S. Department of Education |
| Dates | 10/1/2017 to 9/30/2022 |
Husky Sport mentors lead middle school students in exercise in the gymnasium at the Journalism and Media Academy in Hartford, Conn. (Peter Morenus/UConn Photo)
| Description |
This study uses mixed methods to examine how social capital and cultural models of engineering success contribute to the retention and degree attainment of women and minority engineering undergraduates. More info |
| Principal Investigator | Gladis Kersaint |
| Funding | $882,336 — National Science Foundation / Directorate for Education and Human Resources |
| Dates | 7/1/2016 to 7/31/2019 |
| Description | Schools and teachers face unprecedented challenges in meeting the ambitious goals of integrating core interdisciplinary science ideas with science and engineering practices as described in new standards. The American Museum of Natural History (AMNH), in collaboration with the University of Connecticut, and the Lawrence Hall of Science (the Hall), will develop a middle school ecology unit and related teacher professional development that will help high-need and urban middle school students, including English Language Learners, understand these ideas and related practices.
This is a field study of the effects of a professional development program for middle school science teachers on teacher science knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge. The project entails the develop of practical assessments that can be used to assess teacher knowledge before, during, and after professional development. |
| Principal Investigator(s) | Suzanne Wilson, Bianca Montrosse-Moorhead |
| Funding | $805,364 — National Science Foundation / Directorate for Education and Human Resources |
| Dates | 9/1/2014 to 8/31/2019 |
| Description | The National Center for Leadership in Intensive Intervention (NCLII) is a consortium of universities including Vanderbilt, Southern Methodist University, University of Connecticut, University of Illinois at Chicago, University of Minnesota, University of Texas at Austin, and Virginia Commonwealth University. NCLII prepares and fully funds special education Ph.D. students to become leaders and experts in research on intensive intervention for students with disabilities who have persistent and severe academic (e.g., reading and math) and behavioral difficulties. More info |
| Principal Investigator(s) | Michael Coyne, Brandi Simonsen, Jennifer Freeman, Natalie Olinghouse, Devin Kearns |
| Funding | $571,978 — U.S. Department of Education |
| Dates | 7/1/2015 to 12/31/2019 |
| Description | The National Technical Assistance Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is established by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) to define, develop, implement, and evaluate a multi-tiered approach to TA that improves the capacity of SEAs, LEAs, and schools to establish, scale-up, and sustain the PBIS framework to (a) improve supports and outcomes for students with or at-risk for disabilities (Priority 1) and (b) enhance school climate, school safety (Priority 2), and conditions for learning (Priority 3) to promote the well-being of all students. More info |
| Principal Investigator | Brandi Simonsen, Jennifer Freeman, and George Sugai |
| Funding | $31,750,000 — Total award for Center to University of Oregon (prime); $4,424,903 — UConn subcontract with University of Oregon; U.S. Department of Education / Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services |
| Dates | 10/15/2018 to 9/30/2023 |
| Description | More info on the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation |
| Principal Investigator | Sally Reis Renzulli |
| Funding | $54,685 — Jack Kent Cooke Foundation |
| Dates | 9/1/2018 to 12/31/2019 |
| Description | This contract supports development, implementation, and coordination of the Massachusetts Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) Academy, which provides training, coaching, technical assistance, and evaluation support to more than 130 of the state’s lowest performing (levels 3, 4, and 5) schools during their participation in the three-year PBIS academy. More info |
| Principal Investigator(s) | Adam Feinberg, Brandi Simonsen-Gaines, Jennifer Freeman |
| Funding | $3,942,453 — U.S. Department of Education / Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education |
| Dates | 5/1/2014 to 6/30/2021 |
| Description | The purpose of this project is to examine the post-school outcomes (specifically, employment and postsecondary education outcomes) of students with disabilities who received special education services in the state of Connecticut, as well as those who have exited the system. More info |
| Principal Investigator(s) | Allison Lombardi, Joseph Madaus |
| Funding | $51,904 — U.S. Department of Education / Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services |
| Dates | 10/1/2018 to 6/30/2019 |
| Description | This project will prepare eight scholars in an early childhood intervention doctoral program to be faculty in institutions of higher education. More info |
| Principal Investigator | George Sugai |
| Funding | $1,077,680 — U.S. Department of Education |
| Dates | 1/1/2013 to 12/31/2019 |
| Description | The high rates of obesity among school age children in the U.S. and the complete lack of existing early-life primary preventive interventions with sustained effects form the scientific premise for this competitive renewal application, which proposes to test the sustained efficacy and long-term effects of a responsive parenting intervention on child BMI.
This grant follows a longitudinal cohort from a parenting intervention designed to increase responsive parenting around feeding practices. My role is on longitudinal data analysis of treatment effects on BMI. More info |
| Principal Investigator | Eric Loken |
| Funding | $28,466 — U.S. Department of Health and Human Services / National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases |
| Dates | 6/1/2018 to 3/31/2019 |
| Description |
The purpose of this implementation grant is to pilot 10 hours of curriculum content in the area of family and school community engagement to be incorporated into the UConn Administrator Preparation Program (UCAPP) at large. We are also designing a mechanism for sharing this content with practicing principals across the state in the form of two-hour professional learning modules for working administrators. Another major focus of this grant is to pilot a specialized internship in the area of family and school community engagement for three students in UCAPP. We are merging this work with the greater Wallace Foundation grant work occurring through the Wallace University Principal Preparation Initiative grant focused on principal training program redesign. More info |
| Principal Investigator(s) | Jennifer Michno, Richard Gonzales |
| Funding | $208,104 — Hartford Foundation for Public Giving |
| Dates | 1/1/2018 to 6/30/2019 |
Project NeXus II
| Description |
Project NeXus fully funds a cadre of Ph.D. level leaders in special education in the areas of (a) Literacy, (b) Positive Behavioral Supports, and/or (c) Secondary Transition. Project NeXus provides doctoral fellows with the opportunities and the support to develop Leadership Competencies organized around priority areas including (a) Research, (b) Personnel Preparation (University Teaching), and (c) Professional Practice (Policy/ Advocacy/ Technical Assistance/ Professional Development). More info |
| Principal Investigator(s) | Michael Coyne, Brandi Simonsen, Allison Lombardi |
| Funding | $1,250,000 — U.S. Department of Education |
| Dates | 10/1/2017 to 9/30/2022 |
| Description | Project SPARK (Supporting and Promoting Advanced Readiness in Kids) focuses on early identification of high potential and intervention to promote achievement among students in grades K-2, particularly those students from groups traditionally underserved in gifted programs. Project SPARK follows the Young Scholars Model, an approach specifically designed to promote increased identification of these students and support for their potential in ways that will make them more ready for increasing levels of challenge across the grade levels. More info |
| Principal Investigator | Catherine Little |
| Funding | $2,500,784 — U.S. Department of Education |
| Dates | 10/1/2014 to 9/30/2019 |
| Description |
The purposes of the project are to (a) conduct psychometric and statistical research to determine the best procedures for assessing student performance, and (b) serve as a resource to the Connecticut Board of Education by providing technical advice on psychometric issues in state testing programs as requested by the Connecticut State Board of Education staff. |
| Principal Investigator(s) | Hariharan Swaminathan, Jane Rogers |
| Funding | $1,264,738 — Connecticut State Department of Education |
| Dates | 10/1/2017 to 9/30/2020 |
| Description | The project will partner researchers from the Neag School and the Center for Discrete Mathematics and Theoretical Computer Science at Rutgers University to develop a comprehensive online professional development program for high school science and mathematics teachers. More info |
| Principal Investigator | Suzanne Wilson, Bianca Montrosse-Moorhead |
| Funding | $140,365 — National Science Foundation / Directorate for Education and Human Resources |
| Dates | 6/15/2018 to 9/14/2019 |
| Description | The grant focuses on implementing pre-differentiated and enriched grade 3 mathematics lessons in algebraic thinking, multiplication, and division. It will also explore teachers’ beliefs about their math teaching self-efficacy and recognizing the potential talent in academically, culturally, linguistically, or economically diverse communities. More info |
| Principal Investigator(s) | E. Jean Gubbins, Tutita Casa, Aarti Bellara, Bianca Montrosse-Moorhead |
| Funding | $2,500,000 — U.S. Department of Education / Office of Elementary and Secondary Education |
| Dates | 10/1/2017 to 9/30/2022 |
| Description | Through this $150,000, two-year grant from the Lloyd G. Balfour Foundation, students and the faculty advisor from ScHOLA2RS House will have future opportunities for study abroad and professional development.
The project supports work in the ScHOLA2RS House Living and Learning Community, which is designed to increase retention and graduation rates as well as prepare Black males for graduate and professional school. The ScHOLA2RS House offers an education abroad program during spring break to Salvador, Brazil. In addition, ScHOLA2RS House residents visit graduate and professional schools to broaden exposure and opportunities to apply and enroll in post-baccalaureate degree programs. Guest speakers provide ScHOLA2RS House residents with expertise in areas such as leadership, graduate school preparation, and research. More info |
| Principal Investigator | Erik Hines |
| Funding | $150,000 — Lloyd G. Balfour Foundation |
| Dates | 3/27/2017 to 7/1/2019 |
| Description | The Wallace Foundation has selected the University of Connecticut to participate in a $47 million national initiative to develop models over the next four years for improving university principal preparation programs. UConn’s Neag School of Education will receive approximately $5.45 million over four years to achieve two primary goals: 1.) redesign the UConn Administrator Preparation Program (UCAPP), and 2.) develop a leader tracking system (LTS) with partner districts and the Connecticut State Department of Education. More info |
| Principal Investigator(s) | Richard Gonzales, Casey Cobb, Jennifer McGarry, Jennifer Michno, Sarah Woulfin |
| Funding | $119,436 — Wallace Foundation |
| Dates | 7/1/2016 to 12/31/2018 |
| Description | Project WELLs focuses on the English persuasive writing of Latino fourth-grade students who are, or were, identified as English learners (ELs), with Latino students who were never identified as ELs included as a reference group. The project’s specific aims are to: (a) describe the quality of writing instruction and quality of sheltered instruction among participating teachers; (b) explore both the global and academic-language-specific English persuasive writing outcomes of current EL and former EL students, and determine the extent to which academic language features predict global writing outcomes; and (c) investigate the relationship between quality of writing instruction and English persuasive writing outcomes, and the extent to which the relationship may be moderated by key student-level factors. More info |
| Principal Investigator | Elizabeth Howard |
| Funding | $90,823 — U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences |
| Dates | 10/16/2016 to 8/31/2019 |
From studying student outcomes to creating professional development programs for teachers, faculty engage in a broad range of research related to the teaching of math, science, literacy, and more. Here, Bonnie Johnston ’18 MA, alum of the Neag School’s Teacher Certification Program for College Graduates and former Noyce Scholar, leads a science class at Norwich Free Academy. (Stefanie Dion Jones/Neag School)
| Description | The Technical Assistance Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is established by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) to define, develop, implement, and evaluate a multi-tiered approach to Technical Assistance that improves the capacity of states, districts, and schools to establish, scale up, and sustain the PBIS framework. More info |
| Principal Investigator | George Sugai |
| Funding | $3,633,643 — U.S. Department of Education / Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services |
| Dates | 10/1/2013 to 12/31/2018 |
| Description |
Funding for personnel preparation in early childhood special education. More info |
| Principal Investigator | George Sugai |
| Funding | $579,095 — U.S. Department of Education / Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services |
| Dates | 1/1/2013 to 12/31/2018 |
