University of Chicago-Chapin Hall Joint Research Fund
Partnerships to promote the well-being of children
The University of Chicago and Chapin Hall provide up to $200,000 annually to support outstanding research that investigates and leads to new directions in policy and practice aimed at promoting the well-being of children, families, and communities.
Now in its tenth year, the Joint Research Fund fosters long-term policy-relevant research collaborations between Chapin Hall staff and University faculty. Each project must have a representative of each institution. Research projects may range in size from $30,000 to $100,000 and last up to 24 months. Applications are evaluated by the Joint Research Fund Steering Committee, which is composed of appointees from Chapin Hall and the University.
Resources
We held a 2023 Joint Research Fund (JRF) Information Session on Thursday, January 19. The recording can be viewed on YouTube.
Please sign up to receive updates and reminders about the Joint Research Fund. If you have any questions about the Joint Research Fund, please send the Fund an email or reach out to Anne Farrell, Ph.D. Senior Research Fellow.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are postdoctoral fellows eligible to apply?
The Fund is intended to promote sustainable research relationships. Because of the typically short-term commitments postdoctoral fellows have with their host institutions, they are not eligible to apply. If you are in doubt as to your eligibility or that of a colleague, reach out to jointresearchfund@chapinhall.org
When should projects begin and end?
Projects can begin as early as July 1, 2023 and as late as December 31, 2023. Projects must not exceed a 24-month period as of the project starting date.
What happens after the Joint Research Fund award recipients are announced?
When a project is selected for funding, the co-PIs will receive an email notification with the details of the award. A follow-up communication with next steps will contain more detailed information regarding reporting and disbursal of funds.
Can applications be resubmitted?
Applicants may resubmit applications from prior application periods.
How does the Joint Research Fund define “innovation”?
The Joint Research Fund defines innovation broadly. Innovation refers to the creation of a novel idea, practice, or method to solve an issue. Innovation also refers to the use of an existing idea or method to solve a novel issue. Approaching an old issue in a new way is also considered to be innovative.
Our project spans more than 12 months. May we apply for more than the $100,000 project maximum?
The maximum award is $100,000, even for proposals spanning longer than 12 months.
Our project doesn’t reach the minimum threshold ($30K). Can we still apply?
Applications that do not meet the requirements will not be reviewed. Feel free to check future application criteria, as these may vary from year to year.
Is it detrimental to the success of my application if I apply for additional funding?
Some expenses can’t be covered by the Joint Research Fund (e.g., conferences, honorariums), so applicants are welcome to apply for additional funding from other source(s). We invite applicants to comment on the purpose of the additional funds requested in the dedicated section of the application form.
Can I submit two applications, each with a different Co-PI?
You may submit as many applications as you wish, provided that the projects’ aims are different while still meeting the Joint Research Fund criteria.
Are University of Chicago Affiliates considered eligible?
Only eligible scholars at University of Chicago schools, centers, and departments can apply. Scholars with primary affiliations with Argonne, Fermilab, the Marine Biological Laboratory, and NORC are not eligible as Principal Investigators on a project. However, they can be part of a team associated with a submitted project.
Previous Joint Research Fund Awards
Awarded 2023
| PROJECT TITLE | CO-PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATORS | FUNDING |
|---|---|---|
| Promoting Positive Child Development and Mental Health Outcomes via Home Visiting with Dual-Language Refugee and Immigrant Families | Reiko Kakuyama-Villaber, Researcher, Chapin Hall Aimee Hilado, Assistant Professor, Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice | $95,000 |
| Designing Robot Coaches to Support Child Social Emotional Learning | Kiljoong Kim, Senior Policy Analyst, Chapin Hall Sarah Sebo, Assistant Professor, Department of Computer Science | $64,000 |
| Ethical Dilemmas: Developing a Protocol to Examine Home Visitor Responses of Culturally Diverse Families | Jennifer Baquedano, Associate Researcher, Chapin Hall Miwa Yasui, Associate Professor, Crown School of Social Work | $41,000 |
Awarded 2022
| PROJECT TITLE | CO-PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATORS | FUNDING |
|---|---|---|
| Undetected Abuse?: Examining the Prevalence and Role of Economic Abuse in Home Visitation Households" | Melissa Kull, Senior Researcher, Chapin Hall Gina Fedock, Assistant Professor, Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice | $99,976 |
| Exploring Family Networks in Child Welfare Data | Emily Wiegand, Senior Researcher (Analytics Manager), Chapin Hall Claire Donnat, Assistant Professor, Department of Statistics | $98,169 |
Awarded 2021
| PROJECT TITLE | CO-PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATORS | FUNDING |
|---|---|---|
| The effect of the Multi-Disciplinary Pediatric Education and Evaluation Consortium (MPEEC) | Amy Dworsky, Senior Resarch Fellow, Chapin Hall Dr. Veena Ramaiah, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics | $79,988 |
| The role of pediatric primary care innovations in promoting health equity for Latino families: A longitudinal analysis of Mitigating Toxic Stress Study data | Emma Monahan, Researcher, Chapin Hall Aresha Martinez-Cardoso, Assistant Professor, Department of Public Health Sciences | $59,976 |
| Responding to community trauma: A feasibility study of a culturally specific & collaborative assessment model | Dana Weiner, Senior Policy Fellow, Chapin Hall Sonya Mathies Dinizulu, Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience | $60,000 |
Awarded 2020
| PROJECT TITLE | CO-PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATORS | FUNDING |
|---|---|---|
| Understanding Critical Consciousness Development through Youth Participatory Action Research | Forrest Moore, Policy Fellow, Chapin Hall Christopher Bryan, Assistant Professor of Behavioral Science | $88,021 |
| Evaluating the Impact of School Asthma Policy on Child Health and Well-being in Chicago | Leah Gjertson, Researcher, Chapin Hall Anna Volerman, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of the Biological Sciences | $99,198 |
Awarded 2019
| PROJECT TITLE | CO-PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATORS | FUNDING |
|---|---|---|
| Applying Machine Learning Approaches to Inform Residential Placement Decision-Making in a Child Welfare System | Rayid Ghani, Research Associate Professor, Department of Computer Science Brian Chor, Senior Researcher, Chapin Hall | $59,000 |
| The Effect of Universal Pre-Kindergarten on Total Early Care Accessibility in Chicago | Michael Dinerstein, Assistant Professor, Department of Economics Nicholas Mader, Senior Researcher, Chapin Hall | $56,000 |
| Left Behind: The Effects of Parental Absence on Human Capital Formation among Chinese Children | James Heckman, Director, Center for the Economics of Human Development Fred Wulczyn, Senior Research Fellow, Chapin Hall | $85,000 |
Awarded 2018
| PROJECT TITLE | CO-PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATORS | FUNDING |
|---|---|---|
| Evaluating the Clinical Implementation of the Infant Crying and Parent Well-Being Screening Tool | Bree Andrews, Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Biological Sciences Division/Pediatrics Tiffany Burkhardt, Researcher, Chapin Hall | $25,000 |
| Improving Services & Policies for Incarcerated Mothers & Their Children in Illinois | Amy Dworsky, Research Fellow, Chapin Hall Gina Fedock, Assistant Professor, School of Social Service Administration | $88,800 |
| How Child Care and Early Education Supply in Chicago Shapes Latino Parents’ Child Care Decisions | Julia Henly, Associate Professor, School of Social Service Administration Julie Spielberger, Research Fellow, Chapin Hall | $86,200 |
Awarded 2017
| PROJECT TITLE | CO-PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATORS | FUNDING |
|---|---|---|
| Applying Rapid Review Methods to Assess Evidence for Non-medical Management of Asthma in Out-of-Home Youth | Richard Epstein, Research Fellow, Chapin Hall Valerie Press, Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine | $80,000 |
| Financial Inclusion and Child Development | Elia de la Cruz Toledo, Researcher, Chapin Hall Jeffrey Grogger, Irving Harris Professor in Urban Policy, Harris School of Public Policy Wladimir Zanoni, Senior Researcher, Chapin Hall | $62,000 |
| Testing a Technological Solution for Improving Service Connections Among Youth and Families Involved in Preventive Child Welfare Services | Stacy Lindau, Associate Professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Department of Medicine-Geriatrics, School of Medicine, Biological Sciences Division Dana Weiner, Policy Fellow, Chapin Hall | $58,000 |
Awarded 2016
| PROJECT TITLE | CO-PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATORS | FUNDING |
|---|---|---|
| Father-Son Communication About Violence & Safety in Urban, African-American Communities | Waldo Johnson, Associate Professor, School of Social Service Administration Lauren Rich, Senior Researcher, Chapin Hall | $99,620 |
| Empowering Teachers to Improve Children’s Prekindergarten to Kindergarten Transition: An Implementation Study | Stacy Ehrlich, Senior Research Scientist, University of Chicago Consortium on School Research Angeline Spain, Researcher, Chapin Hall | $99,760 |
Awarded 2015
| PROJECT TITLE | CO-PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATORS | FUNDING |
|---|---|---|
| Understanding and Improving Performance Measurement Systems in Private Child and Family Service Agencies | Nathaniel Israel, Policy Fellow, Chapin Hall J. Curtis McMillen, Professor, School of Social Service Administration, University of Chicago | $82,452 |
| Do Absences in Elementary School Impact High School Outcomes? | Kerwin Charles, Deputy Dean and Edwin and Betty L. Bergman Distinguished Service Professor, Harris School of Public Policy, University of Chicago Wladimir Zanoni, Senior Researcher, Chapin Hall | $42,548 |
| Mental Health Engagement: A cultural ecogram pilot intervention study | Amelia Kohm, Researcher, Chapin Hall Miwa Yasui, Assistant Professor, School of Social Service Administration, University of Chicago | $75,000 |
Awarded 2014
| PROJECT TITLE | CO-PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATORS | FUNDING |
|---|---|---|
| Implementation Study of an Innovative Psychiatric Service Model for Juvenile Offenders | Joy Landwehr, Researcher, Chapin Hall Bradley Stolbach, Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Pritzker School of Medicine | $82,992 |
| How do Low-Income Expectant Mothers Package Work and Safety Net Supports?: Evidence from Illinois administrative data | Robert Goerge, Senior Research Fellow, Chapin Hall Marci A. Ybarra, Assistant Professor, School of Social Service Administration, University of Chicago | $65,909 |
| State of the Child in China: Secondary analysis of the 2010 China family panel studies | Lijun Chen, Senior Researcher, Chapin Hall Dali Yang, Professor, Department of Political Science, University of Chicago | $35,101 |
Note: The Joint Research Fund is working toward sharing reports online. Reports currently online are linked from the project title.
*Positions noted are accurate as of the time of the award.
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