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 13 years of this program (2012-2025), NCRE Scholars has supported 38 Scholars, including 17 postdoctoral and 21 graduate student Scholars. 

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

We are pleased to share that our newest cohort of Native Children’s Research Exchange Scholars (Cohort 13, aka, Lucky 13) has been selected! They include: 

• Katherina Arteaga, MA (Ysleta del Sur Pueblo, Oklahoma State University)
• Candi Running Bear, PhD (Navajo Nation, Western New Mexico University)
• Valentin Sierra, PhD (California Yoeme (Yaqui) Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health)
• Julie Smith-Yliniemi, PhD, LPCC, NCC (Ojibwe – White Earth Nation, University of North Dakota)

All of the scholars met the week of November 4 for their kick-off meeting and are just getting started. We are excited to see what they do next!

Learn more about each of these scholars.