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).

Jessica Saniġuq Ullrich (Nome Eskimo Community), PhD

Dr. Ulrich, an NCRE Scholar from Cohort 8, was awarded the McNulty Prize Catalyst Fund. This fund recognizes promising ventures led by Fellows of the Aspen Institute with significant early momentum and at critical junctures on their path to creating meaningful change. Dr. Ullrich received the award for her work with the Nome Eskimo Community, a federally recognized Tribe in Alaska. Dr. Ullrich and her multidisciplinary research team at the Institute for Research and Education to Advance Community Health (IREACH) at Washington State University are collaborating with the Nome Eskimo Community to promote multi-generational healing and wellbeing for Indigenous children and families.

Congratulations to Jessica on this award recognizing her and her team's work.