Research Projects

Advancing Social Work Knowledge

Research projects at the School of Social Welfare work toward advancing the science and knowledge base of social work through collaboration, curriculum, scholarship and research.
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Current Research Projects

Family Opportunity, Resilience, Grit, Engagement (FORGE)

FORGE, a partnership project between KU and Cornerstones of Care, is designed to promote responsible fatherhood by fostering healthy relationships, engaged parenting practices and financial stability. The project will focus on five counties in northeast Kansas. It is funded by a $3.75 million grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, through the Administration for Children and Families.

Stock photo of a father holding a baby

Integrated Health Scholars Program

By training Master of Social Work students, the Integrated Health Scholars Program increases the number of social workers providing high-quality integrated behavioral health services in rural, high-need Kansas communities.

A KU MSW student poses next to their capstone project poster for the Integrated Health Scholars Program

Research Project News

A young person holds a basket full of vegetables including cabbage and cucumbers.

Study finds sustainable farming program helps refugees, immigrants boost health while launching agribusinesses

New Roots is a Kansas City-area program that works with resettled refugees, immigrants and English language learners to learn sustainable practices to start agribusinesses. Research from the University of Kansas found the program boosts the mental and physical health of participants while they connect with community, benefiting both the farmers and the areas they serve.
Social Welfare professor Kortney Carr talks through a substance use screening tool.

KU researchers enhance training for the Kansas health care workforce to prevent substance use disorders

Researchers in the KU School of Social Welfare have updated training materials that prepare health care providers to prevent, identify and treat substance use disorders across Kansas. SBIRT — Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment — is an evidence-based approach to talking with people about their substance use.
A photograph of a man holding a sign outside of the Missouri Capital. He is wearing a red T-shirt and holding signs made by Stand Up KC, an organization advocating for better pay for restaurant workers.

KU professor leads project to document history, preserve KC-based movement to fight for better restaurant pay

Tadeo Weiner Davis, assistant professor of social welfare at the University of Kansas, earned a grant to preserve materials of Stand Up KC, a movement dedicated to earning better pay for fast food and casual restaurant workers, and record oral histories of those involved.
A closeup image of a man holding his young child.

New KU partnership dedicated to engaged fatherhood, family, financial stability

Researchers in the University of Kansas School of Social Welfare have secured a grant to implement the Family Opportunity, Resilience, Grit, Engagement (FORGE) partnership in five northeast Kansas counties to promote healthy relationships, engaged fatherhood and family and financial stability.
Read more research news

Completed Research Projects

Past Research Projects: Overview

Learn more about completed research projects from the KU School of Social Welfare.

The Kansas ABC Early Childhood Initiative was a two-phase project to expand early childhood service capacity in Kansas.

Kansas ABC Early Childhood Initiative webpage

The Kansas Serves Native American Families (KSNAF) project sought to improve the well-being of Native American children affected by substance use by offering a culturally integrated Strengthening Families Program (SFP) through a partnership between tribal nations, universities and child welfare agencies.

Kansas Serves Native American Families webpage

Conducted from 2021 to 2023, this survey and interview study examined how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the delivery of home-based care in Kansas.

Care and Safety Practices During COVID-19 in Home-Based Care website

Survivor Link is a systems-level intervention in local community organizations to promote best methods for screening and responding to domestic violence.

KU School of Social Welfare students received intensive training and provided training to participating public health and public health-allied organizations through their practicum placements. The project included partners at schools of social work in 11 states.

The Survivor Link project was sponsored by a federal AmeriCorps grant.

Survivor Link project webpage

Universal Prevention for Strong and Thriving Families, or Family Strong, is a community-based initiative that advances universal primary prevention, an approach that strengthens the well-being of all children and families by connecting them with support before challenges escalate.

The project is based at the KU Center for Public Partnerships and Research.

Family Strong webpage

KU Social Work Research & Service

Learn more about research, service and community engagement at the KU School of Social Welfare.
Research & Service Research & Service
Publications & Presentations Publications & Presentations
Public Scholarship Public Scholarship