MSW Research Scholars
The Opportunity: to work closely, one-on-one with a faculty member or researcher to learn about the research process and to enhance critical thinking about social problems and their solutions.
Eligibility Criteria: Current MSW student in good standing (priority will be given to students in the advanced year of the program, though all are invited to apply)
What the Student will be doing:
- Work closely with a faculty member on their research for 22 weeks (11 weeks each semester). The commitment is for an average of (8) hours per week. You will not be expected to work over major university holidays or during exam weeks.
- You will be exposed to many phases of the research and publication process. Various faculty members are at different points in their research, so what you will be doing may differ from what your classmate may be doing.
- Some possible tasks: literature reviews, interviewing research subjects according to a protocol, helping construct surveys, coding qualitative data, helping write sections of an article based on the research, and many other possibilities.
What the Faculty member will be doing:
- Introducing you to the exciting world of research
- Showing you how research can make a difference for the profession of social work and in our communities
- Teaching you to think critically about social problems and social solutions and about research data
- Depending on the research phase, teaching you how to go about structuring a proposal or an article or a research report. In some cases, depending on the level of your contribution, you may be a secondary author on a publication or work with your faculty mentor to prepare and (hopefully) deliver a paper at a major conference
Application Process:
Applications open each August with work between October to May.
- Complete application form and all application materials no later than August 30th. Applications submitted after this date will not be accepted
- Be sure to include your first and second research area of interest
- Your research area of interest will be matched to the researchers who have agreed to work with MSW students on their research
- Those students for whom there is a match will have an interview with the prospective faculty/ research mentor
- Final decisions will be made by the Office of the Dean in consultation with potential mentors
2023-24 Research Opportunities
PI: Dr. Claire Willey-Sthapit
Description:
Dr. Claire Willey-Sthapit is an Assistant Professor with the University of Kansas School of Social Welfare. Her research project focuses on a qualitative research study on strategies to address domestic violence in Pokhara, Nepal. There will additionally be opportunity to systematically review papers about the role of self-help groups to address GBV in developing countries.
These projects may be of particular interest to those who wish to learn more about a) individual, family, and community strategies to address gender-based violence, b) international development and transnational social work, c) working with Nepali or Bhutanese refugee communities, d) scholarly research and writing, and/or e) research dissemination for policy advocacy.
Depending on the MSW Scholar’s interests and project needs, potential tasks may include:
- Draft one or more policy briefs, in collaboration with service providers and activists in Nepal, that will support local and national programs and activism on domestic violence
- Conduct literature searches
- Write and/or revise literature reviews for analyses of survivor agency, community strategies to address GBV, and/or the role of NGO service providers as translators between international policy and local community practice
- Analyze articles for a systematic review on the role of self-help groups to address gender-based violence
- Write parts of a systematic review or theoretical review paper on the role of self-help groups to address gender-based violence
PI: Dr. Jared Barton
Description:
Dr. Jared Barton is an Assistant Research Professor with the University of Kansas School of Social Welfare. His research focus is on child and family well-being, universal supports for prevention services and early childhood, transforming systems of child welfare, uptake of data and evidence in program improvement planning and data-driven decision-making, implementation and outcomes research and program evaluation.
The Child Sexual Abuse Prevention evaluation partners with multiple community-based organizations across Missouri who are delivering prevention services, education, and advocacy in target zip codes with high rates of child sexual abuse. The KU evaluation uses survey and administrative data from the community agencies and the state child welfare agency to evaluate the impact of this program to reduce child sexual abuse in Missouri. Scholars will have opportunities to contribute to multiple evalaution activities, including partnering with the study team to implement focus groups with community partners and co-developing related dissemination products (e.g., practice brief), and engaging in policy review and analysis with co development of a policy brief. This project launched in April 2021 and is supported by the Missouri Children Trust Fund.
PI: Dr. Joonmo Kang
Description:
Dr. Joonmo Kang is an Assistant Research Professor with the University of Kansas School of Social Welfare. His scholarship incorporates environmental and climate justice perspectives and topics. His research involves using community-based, ethnographic methods to study how climate change disproportionately impacts marginalized communities.
The upcoming research project will focus on the intersection of climate justice and ecosocial work. The aim of this research is to delve into the perspectives and experiences of climate justice activists who also have a background in social work. Through in-depth interviews, we will explore their insights into ecosocial work practice and policy. By engaging with these passionate individuals, we hope to gain a deeper understanding of how social work principles can contribute to addressing environmental challenges and advancing the cause of climate justice. Students will be asked to do literature reviews, participate in the data generation process (interviews), and possibly write a manuscript together.
PI: Dr. Kaela Byers
Description:
Dr. Kaela Byers is an Associate Research Professor with the University of Kansas School of Social Welfare. Her scholarship focuses on biodevelopmental and cross-systems approaches to promoting child and family well-being. Dr. Byers has a strong interest in applying advanced analytic approaches and a translational, prevention framework to family, organizational, and systems-level issues that impact young children.
The Family Resource Center (FRC) initiative supports the launch of ten new Family Resource Centers across communities in Kansas. The goal of this initiative is to launch support hubs in underserved communities and ensure families have access to the services and supports they need to grow and thrive in their community, ultimately reducing the need for child and family contact with the child welfare system. Scholars will work with the study team to support data collection and analysis of brief qualitative stories from community members, participate in study planning and implementation (e.g., participate in advisory meetings, support data entry and data management, etc.), and support the Family Council FRC initiative. Scholars will co-develop a policy, practice, or research brief for dissemination to the field. This project launched in July 2023 and is supported by the Kansas Department for Children and Families.
PI: Dr. Jared Barton
Description:
Dr. Jared Barton is an Assistant Research Professor with the University of Kansas School of Social Welfare. His research focus is on child and family well-being, universal supports for prevention services and early childhood, transforming systems of child welfare, uptake of data and evidence in program improvement planning and data-driven decision-making, implementation and outcomes research and program evaluation.
The Fatherhood FIRE evaluation partners with St. Francis Ministries in Kansas, Nebraska, and Texas to conduct a randomized controlled trial program evaluation to understand the impact of an enhanced suite of group-based programming for fathers. The aim of FIRE is to support building and strengthening relationships between fathers and children. FIRE combines three group curricula into a customized program to promote father engagement, support co-parenting, and educate fathers about family violence. Scholars contributing to this evaluation will participate in routine project activities (e.g., data entry, REDCap management, team meetings). Scholars will also support implementation of focus groups with fathers who have participated in the program and will co-develop a policy, practice, or research brief for dissemination to the field. This project launched in October 2020 and is supported by the U.S. Department for Health and Human Services Office of Family Assistance.
PI: Dr. Meredith Bagwell-Gray
Description:
Meredith Bagwell-Gray is an Assistant Professor in the School of Social Welfare at the University of Kansas. With an emphasis on health equity research, Dr. Bagwell-Gray studies the intersections of race, gender, and age with environmental factors, like living in rural areas, and contextual factors, like experiencing intimate partner violence, on women’s health and safety.
The Sexual Health for Survivors Research Team is looking for a bilingual Spanish-English speaking MSW Scholar to help with a research project on women’s sexual health and domestic violence, Promoting Cervical Health for Latina Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence: A Community Engagement Project to Culturally Adapt a Trauma-Informed Approach. The purpose of this racial equity research project is to engage Spanish-speaking Hispanic and Latina domestic violence survivors, survivor advocates, and community members in a cultural adaptation of a behavioral health intervention to prevent cervical cancer among survivors of domestic violence.
Tasks for the student research assistants will included:
- Detail record keeping, such as tracking disbursement of participant incentives
- Co-facilitate interviews and focus groups and/or take notes during them
- Participate in data analysis; training will be provided
- Contribute to written reports and presentations for various audiences, including community partners, funders, and academic audiences
PI: Dr Sicong “Summer” Sun
Description:
Dr. Sicong “Summer” Sun is an Assistant Professor at the University of Kansas School of Social Welfare. Their research interests broadly include social determinants of health and health equity, poverty and inequality, and financial capability and asset building among disadvantaged populations. Their research centres on the intersections of structural racism, socioeconomic status, and health. This opportunity may be of interest to those who are interested in macro social work and gain mentorship to conduct interdisciplinary quantitative research on poverty and health equity among minoritized communities of colour.
Depending on the student's interest, background, and fit, tasks may involve:
- Assist in conducting literature review searches and summary
- Draft literature review/s to be used in research publications (depending on the contribution, work may lead to authorship credit on a publication)
- Assist with managing and analyzing secondary data
- Involvement in other avenues for dissemination of findings
PI: Dr. Kaela Byers
Description:
Dr. Kaela Byers is an Associate Research Professor with the University of Kansas School of Social Welfare. Her scholarship focuses on biodevelopmental and cross-systems approaches to promoting child and family well-being. Dr. Byers has a strong interest in applying advanced analytic approaches and a translational, prevention framework to family, organizational, and systems-level issues that impact young children.
The Family Strong demonstration project aims to co-develop and demonstate impact of a community-based system of child and family well-being, including provision of universal case management services, free high quality legal services related to social determinants of health, an interconnnected provider network, and a public health campaign promoting community-based help seeking among parents and caregivers in underserved communities, ensuring families have access to the services and supports they need to grow and thrive in their community, and ultimately reducing the need for child and family contact with the child welfare system. Scholars will work with the study team to support data collection and analysis of brief qualitative stories from community members, participate in study planning and implementation (e.g., participate in advisory meetings, support data entry and data management, etc.)and will co-develop a policy, practice, or research brief for dissemination to the field. This project launched in October 2021 and is supported by the U.S. Department for Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families Children's Bureau.
PI: Dr. Weiner Davis
Description:
Dr. Weiner Davis’s research focuses on how community organizing campaigns and social movements in urban centers play a role in addressing issues affecting poor people such as affordable housing, jobs, and the privatization of public goods. Currently, Tadeo is investigating two urban development fights. One is focused on community organizing responses to the construction of the Obama Presidential Center on the South Side of Chicago and the second deals with the community organizing responses to the planning of the new KC Royals stadium in Kansas City. Students can contribute to this research in a variety of ways, depending on their interests:
- Creating, curating, and summarizing newspaper archives
- Attending and reporting on city council and development meetings
- Interview and event transcription
- Attending and reporting on protest events
- Reviewing literature on community organizing and social movement scholarship
- Reviewing literature on community archiving
- Developing interview protocols and/or surveys
- Contributing to ongoing scholarly writing