Research

Research Being Conducted 

Binghamton University Center for Community Schools (BUCCS) advances global health, progressive education and well-being for marginalized populations by implementing cutting-edge, interdisciplinary research and educational opportunities with communities and people across the lifespan and the globe.

Research Affiliate Awarded Two 5-year Awards from the U.S. Department of Education totalling $9.3 Million to Expand Mental Health Services in New York’s Southern Tier. Naorah Rimkunas, Research Affiliate, Assistant Professor, and Director of the University-Assisted Community School (UACS) Regional Training Center, is principal investigator with Luann Kida, who is co-principal investigator and Executive Director of Binghamton University Community Schools (BUCS). With these grants, they will be able to serve approximately 3,300 students at seven schools with telemental health services while BU social work students will be trained to provide solution-focused telemental health services to youth and families; the grants will also fund services to approximately 3,700 students at the Chenango Forks and Maine-Endwell school districts through providing additional education to the social work students and bringing in families as partners to support the academic growth and social and emotional well-being of their children. Read this article to learn more.

Research Affiliate Awarded Grant From The National Science Foundation. Dr. Amber Simpson, Associate Professor in the Department of Teaching, Learning and Educational Leadership was awarded a $1.5 M grant to create and support makerspaces for youth, in efforts for them to work collaboratively on projects and find support in times of failure. She outlines the importance of makerspaces due to COVID-19 to enhance learning for students during remote learning, while creating new, accessible ways to learn an array of content by attending, interpreting and responding to youth's experiences. Read this article to learn more about Dr. Simpson's project and the implementation of makerspaces in the community!

Congratulations to Research Affiliate and Associate Professor of Social Work, Dr. Youjung Lee, on being one of three teams at Binghamton University awarded up to $10,000 for conducting research projects related to the Coronavirus pandemic! Dr. Lee's research pursuits look to assess the accessibility and effectiveness of telemental health services of marginalized and vulnerable children and families in New York State during the pandemic; in addition to, training social work students how to properly serve the high-needs of these populations through the use of an evidence-based intervention model. Read more about her research and the work of the other grant receipts in this article as they conduct meaningful work to protect communities from the detrimental effects of COVID-19.

The New York State Education Department awarded the Binghamton University Community Schools a five-year contract to operate the Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Centers (CCLC) Technical Assistance Resource Centers (TARC). With this additional funding, the Binghamton University Community Schools will work with students who attend low-performing schools to provide enriched learning programs and opportunities to improve their academic, social and emotional outcomes of students and families. Read more about this and Binghamton's 21st Century Community Learning Centers here.

The College of Community and Public Affairs awards $20,000, with a match from the Research Foundation, in seed grant funding to support the research projects of the 2020-2021 Research Excellence Award winners. Congratulations to Dr. Kim Brimhall, Dr. Loretta Mason-Williams and Dr. Jacqueline McGinley for being this year's award recipients and we're proud of the work their projects are doing to positively impact the local community! Each project has made significant progress since awarding this funding to promote academic excellence, support of the local community and represent the ideals that Binghamton University is founded upon.

Binghamton University receives $1.25 M from the New York State Education Department to continue the work of the Central/Western Community Schools Technical Assistance Center. This allows the Central/Western Community Schools Technical Assistance Center to provide critical aid to the region by servicing those who have been most impacted by COVID-19 and provide resources that will enhance learning. Along with additional funding from the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, Binghamton University Community Schools will work with 18 counties in New York State and award contracts to forward the work that local community organizations are doing to support children and families.

Binghamton University's Community Schools Awarded $150,000 in Funding! Dean Laura Bronstein and Institute Research Affiliate Luann Kida received a three-year $50,000 grant for a total of $150,000, in partnership with the University-Assisted Community Schools National Network to promote Binghamton University's Community Schools and fund the fifth UACS Regional Training Center in the nation! Funded by the Netter Center of Community Partnership, this grant aids in the development of University-Assisted Community Schools and will mobilize resources needed to serve, engage and empower their local communities. Congratulations to both of them on this achievement!

Research Opportunities