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).

NCRE Scholar Amanda Hunter

Amanda Hunter is a former NCRE Scholar and a current postdoctoral scholar at Northern Arizona University’s Center for Health Equity Research. She holds a PhD in public health (Health Behavior and Health Promotion) from the University of Arizona. Amanda recently received a National Institutes of Health Maximizing Opportunities for Scientific and Academic Independent Careers (MOSAIC) K99-R00 award, called a Pathway to Independence Award, which will assist her in expanding and supporting her research, “Native Spirit: Culturally-grounded Substance Use Prevention for Indigenous Adolescents." She is the first postdoctoral scholar at Northern Arizona University to receive a K99-R00!