The Native Children’s Research Exchange (NCRE) brings together researchers studying child development from birth through emerging adulthood in Native communities, including American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian. NCRE provides opportunities for the open exchange of information and ideas, collaborative relationship building, and the dissemination of knowledge about Native children’s development. Mentoring early career investigators and graduate students, particularly those who are themselves American Indian, Alaska Native, or Native Hawaiian, is central to NCRE’s mission.
The NCRE Scholars Program provides career development support to early career Native American (American Indian, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian) researchers (junior faculty, post-docs, and late-stage graduate students) interested in pursuing research on substance use and disorder and Native child and adolescent development. To date, the NCRE Scholars program has supported the career development of 37 Scholars in 13 cohorts. Early career Native investigators 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 (R25DA061492; Sarche and Ivanich, PIs).
NCRE Scholars helps Scholars transition to the next stage of their research careers. Common and Tailored activities are designed to help Scholars achieve this goal. Common Activities involve all Scholars in a cohort, help develop essential research skills and a network of collaborators and colleagues. Tailored Activities, specific to the needs of each Scholar, are co-created by each Scholar and their mentor(s) upon acceptance into the program.
Common Activities
| Activity | Location | Date/Time |
|---|
| NCRE Conference | Denver | September 18-19, 2025 (travel September 17 and 19) |
| Cohort 14 Kick-Off Meeting | TBA | November 17-21, 2025 (travel November 16 and 22) |
| 2026 Society for Prevention Research (SPR) conference | Washington, DC | May 27-30, 2026 |
| Monthly group mentoring meetings | Virtual | recurring meeting times TBD |
| Monthly NCRE Writing Workshops | Virtual | 2nd Tuesday of each month, 1-2 PM MT |
| Two Intensive Writing retreats | TBD | TBD |
| Course: Responsible Conduct of Research with AI/AN Communities | TBD | TBD |
| Course: Writing NIH Grants for Research with AI/AN Communities | TBD | TBD |
Tailored Activities
Each Scholar will work with NCRE program mentors, Drs. Sarche, Ivanich, and Whitesell to develop a Tailored Career Development Plan (TCDP). Each Scholar’s TCDP will include at least one writing goal – either the publication of a research paper or the submission of a grant application. For postdoctoral Scholars, this may include preparing a full application for submission (e.g., a K award or R series) or developing a strategic plan for peer-review publication to build a portfolio that will support an application within two years of completing the NCRE Scholars program. Predoctoral Scholars may focus writing efforts on a manuscript for peer-review publication (for example, tied to their dissertation) or on developing a predoctoral fellowship application (e.g., F31). The individualized writing goals will form the basis for each Scholar’s activities during the Intensive Writing Retreats and are expected to be completed within 12 months of beginning the program.
In addition to the specific writing goals, each Scholar will be able to select TCDP activities that support their career development. Examples include:
- Participating in training related to career development goals (e.g., statistical or methodological training)
- Traveling to a research mentor's lab or institution, and/or Native community with whom the mentor works, to participate in data collection or analysis, meeting with other research team members and community collaborators,
attending a Tribal research advisory board meeting, etc.
- Attending and presenting research at an additional relevant national research conference (e.g., Society for Research on Child Development, Society for Research on Adolescence, American Psychological Association Division 45/The Society for the Psychology Study of Ethnic Minority Issues, etc.)
Eligible applicants must be:
- Native American: We use the definition of Native American published by the National Institutes of Health in Notice of Funding Opportunity, which includes:
- Members of Indigenous Tribes and communities, irrespective of where they live or reside, that have been recognized as having a special political and trust relationship with the United States, including those Tribes, bands, or groups terminated since 1940 and those recognized now or in the future by the State in which they reside
- Up to second generation descendants of federally recognized American Indian and Alaska Native Tribes
- Native Hawaiian communities as described in the Native Hawaiian Health Care Improvement Act
- Early Career: Junior faculty, post-doctoral fellows, and late-stage doctoral students in psychology, sociology, public health, social work, anthropology, education, or related disciplines.
- Pursuing research careers focused on substance use and disorder and Native child and adolescent development: Application materials should reflect this intent and focus.
Application Deadline: 5:00 pm MDT Tuesday, August 12, 2025
All application materials should be submitted via email to [email protected].
1. Submitted by applicant
- Completed application form
- Curriculum vitae
- Personal statement (limit 500 words) highlighting previous research experience and career goals; describing how career goals align with NCRE's mission to support research on substance use and disorder and Native child and adolescent development.
- Concept proposal for a paper or grant application (1-2 pages) describing a manuscript for publication or a grant application to be developed and submitted with NCRE Scholars program support. The proposal should be clear in its link to research on substance use and disorder and Native child and adolescent development.
2. Submitted directly by references
- Two letters of reference from professors, supervisors, or colleagues who can speak directly to applicant’s research potential and need for career development support.
