CRI: Planning the Center for the Study of Children's Development in Relationships

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AbstractPlanning a Center for the Study of Children's Development in Relationships Julia Torquati, Lisa Crockett, Carolyn Edwards, Marcela Raffaelli, and Ross Thompson Relationships are critical to intellectual, emotional, social, and physical growth in childhood. Relationships with parents, grandparents, siblings, peers, teachers, caregivers in day care and preschool, and others contribute to the development of skills, respond to the child's individuality, facilitate new learning and growth, and provide sources of security and support. Relationships have recently been described as the "active ingredients" of healthy development by the Committee on Integrating the Science of Early Childhood Development of the National Academy of Sciences in their report, From Neurons to Neighborhoods. But although much is known about the impact of specific relationships on children's development, there are many limitations to current understanding. This project proposal requests support to enable investigators to advance the science of relationships in development by planning the creation of a Center for the Study of Children's Development in Relationships. The overarching goal of the Center is to develop the capacity for multi-disciplinary research on children's development within relationships, from infancy through adolescence, encompassing the varieties of relationships and develop-mental processes characteristic of childhood. More specifically, researchers at the Center will develop: (a) a shared theoretical view of development and relationships to guide their work, (b) a framework for coordination among specific research activities conducted by research scientists, (c) processes for scholarly exchanges through workshops, conferences, and networking opportunities, (d) educational activities for graduate students, postdoctoral scholars, and visiting scientists, (e) associations with institutional and community resources concerned with children, (f) a repository for data and reports that already exist concerning development and relationships from both local and national sources, and (g) procedures for disseminating research conclusions to other scholars, communities, human service professionals, and policymakers. The goals of the proposed planning period are to inaugurate the development of this Center by building collaborative partnerships within the University of Nebraska, and with scholars at other institutions, and to initiate specific research programs by critically examining current research on children's relationships to identify gaps in conceptualization, measurement, populations studied, or developmental stages and transitions that have been examined. During the proposed planning period, several activities will occur. These include (a) an assessment of future research needs through monthly meetings, exchanges of reviews of the literature, and consulting with an advisory board of experts, (b) building multidisciplinary collaborations within the University, and with scholars outside it, (c) developing a shared theoretical framework through collaborative interaction, and (d) preparation and submission of a Center grant proposal. The Center for the Study of Children's Development in Relationships will also accomplish several ancillary goals. First, it will provide an infrastructure for the integration of education and research on this important topic. Second, it will broaden the representation of underrepresented groups through active recruitment of scholars, students, and research participants. Finally, the work of Center scholars will enhance knowledge of the field through independent research activities and review of the research literature.