NCRE Scholars Program

The Native Children’s Research Exchange (NCRE) brings together researchers studying child development from birth through emerging adulthood in Native communities. NCRE provides opportunities for the open exchange of information and ideas and for building collaborative relationships and disseminating knowledge about Native children’s development. Mentoring the next generation of scholars is central to NCRE’s mission.

Since 2012, NCRE Scholars has provided career development support to late stage doctoral students, individuals in postdoctoral training programs, and early career investigators interested in pursuing research on substance use and disorder and Native child and adolescent development. NCRE Scholars has supported 37 Scholars to date, including 21 doctoral students, 6 postdoctoral trainees, and 10 early career investigators. Through its conference-based NCRE stars (Students Thinking about Research CareerS) program, NCRE Scholars has supported nearly 40 additional early stage researchers.

The NCRE Scholars program is currently supported by grants from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (R25DA050645 – Whitesell and Sarche, MPI and R25DA061492 –  Ivanich and Sarche, MPI).

Helen Russette, PhD (Chippewa-Cree)

In December, Scholar Helen Russette (Cohort 8) participated in the Partners for Advancing Health Equity (P4HE) Summit in Montgomery, Alabama. Along with fellow HES4A Scholar Damian Chase-Begay, Helen facilitated small group discussions where participants shared testimonies, strategies, and success stories from their work.  Helen will serve as a co-author on one of three forthcoming “Letters to the Field” to summarize what is and is not working in public health and to catalyze change. Three themes will be highlighted: 1) critique and confrontation of practices that harm communities, 2) strategies and wins offered by contributors, and 3) hope and love for the field. Once published, we look forward to sharing the letters. Meanwhile, please join us in celebrating Helen’s contributions to this important work!

Candi Running Bear, PhD (Navajo Nation)

Dr. Running Bear (Cohort 13) recently received $5,000 in funding from the Evelyn M. Neil Faculty Fellowship to support her Students Speak project, which uses quantitative, qualitative and community-engaged methods to better understand the structural and cultural factors that affect teacher preparation degree completion among students in the Gallup, NM area, including students from Zuni and Diné communities. The project is progressing through the approval and partnership-building stages and will gather student data and perspectives to inform improvements in teacher preparation programs. This work directly supports Dr. Running Bear's role as a faculty member at UNM’s main campus while also strengthening connections between the main campus and the Gallup community.

Dr. Running Bear was also selected for the 2026 Child Intervention, Prevention & Services (CHIPS) Fellowship which was an important opportunity for her professional and research development. The institute helped her connect with other early-career scholars, deepen her understanding of the National Institute of Mental Health, and learn more about developing a competitive research career. Through CHIPS, she was also connected with a mentor and gained practical guidance and strategies for strengthening her NIMH K01 proposal.