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 early career investigators and graduate students, particularly those who are American Indian, Alaska Native, or Native Hawaiian community members, is central to NCRE’s mission.

The NCRE Scholars Program provides career development support to early career investigators and late-stage graduate students interested in pursuing research on substance use and disorder and Native child and adolescent development. In the first eight years of this program (2012-2020), NCRE Scholars has included 19 Scholars in eight cohorts, including ten postdoctoral Scholars and nine graduate student Scholars. Early career investigators, including junior faculty, post-doctoral fellows, and late-stage doctoral students in psychology, sociology, public health, anthropology, education, or related disciplines are eligible to apply.

The NCRE Scholars program is supported by a grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (R25DA050645; Whitesell and Sarche, PIs).

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Featured Scholar | Meenakshi Richardson


Meena Richardson

NCRE Scholar Wins DEI Excellence Award

Meenakshi Richardson (Haliwa-Saponi), a NCRE Scholar in Cohort 11, is one of two inaugural recipients of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusive (DEI) Excellence Award from Washington State University’s College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences (CAHNRS). This award recognizes both graduate and undergraduate students who demonstrate commitment to DEI.  Meenakshi has been featured for this award on CAHNRS news site and will be included in an upcoming issue of the CAHNRS Confluence magazine that features a "student success grab bag" of exceptional students. Meenakshi is a PhD Student in the Prevention Science program within the department of Human Development at Washington State University. She holds a Master of Public Health (MPH) from Bastyr University and a Master in Prevention Science (MS) from Washington State University. Congratulations, Meenakshi!

>>Learn more the award and its recipients

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