University-Based Child & Family Policy Consortium

1. University-Based Child & Family Policy Consortium http://www.childpolicyuniversityconsortium.com Information session for current & potential members* May 5, 2011 *This session was designed specifically for entities that are interested in joining the Consortium

2. Speakers • Matt Stagner, Ph.D., Consortium Steering Committee member, Executive Director of Chapin Hall Center for Children & Families at the University of Chicago, & Senior Lecturer at the Harris School of Public Policy at the University of Chicago. • Jenni Owen, MPA, Consortium Director and Interest Group Co-Chair, Director of Policy Initiatives at the Center for Child and Family Policy at Duke University. • Sara Benning, MLS, Consortium Interest Group Co-Chair, Policy Coordinator at the University of Minnesota’s Children, Youth and Family Consortium. • Rachel Gordon, Ph.D., Consortium Steering Committee member & Interest Group Chair, Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) and a faculty member of the Institute of Government and Public Affairs at UIC.

3. University-Based Child & Family Policy Consortium Who we are • A national, interdisciplinary organization of university-based entities that focus on child and family policy, broadly defined. • Membership is at an organization level. All affiliated faculty, staff, undergraduate & graduate students may fully participate. (Note: The opportunity for individual memberships is in discussion.) • Members vary from large university-based entities with multi-million dollar budgets to a small department of a few people.

4. Our mission An organized and intentional forum fostering • Research - sharing of the latest findings and strategies for conducting policy-relevant research and facilitation of scientific collaboration around child and family policy issues, • Careers - cross-disciplinary training at the undergraduate, graduate, and junior faculty level that supports the next generation of child and family policy researchers, and • Engagement - effective translation between research, practice, and policy issues and efforts to use research to inform policy.

5. The Consortium is evolving • We began in 2002 with a handful of interested university leaders to over 25 member universities in 2011 • Started to build infrastructure • Received funding to develop a Strategy & Business Plan from the Foundation for Child Development. • Launched website • Continue to grow • Interest Group chairs established • Co-sponsored an event at SRCD • Consortium founded • Engaged in many new substantive activities • Interest Groups formed and met regularly • Website enhancements • APPAM proposal accepted • Occasional meetings of members

6. Governance/Administration • Currently led by Steering Committee of 5 elected individuals from member institutions. • Karen Cadigan, Ph.D., University of Minnesota • Ken Dodge, Ph.D., Duke University • Rachel Gordon, Ph.D., University of Illinois at Chicago • Anna Johnson, Ph.D., Columbia University • Matthew Stagner, Ph.D., University of Chicago • Organized around Interest Groups (see following slides) • 2002-2009: Administratively housed at Georgetown University • Facilitated by Deborah Phillips, Ph.D. • 2010: Administration transferred to Duke University • Director Jenni Owen, MPA (Director of Policy Initiatives at the Center for Child and Family Policy at Duke University)

7. Interest Groups • Primary benefit for members • Interest Groups are working groups that meet via regular monthly conference calls • The groups are organized around the core components of the Consortium’s mission

8. Careers Interest Group Activities • Conducted a nation-wide survey of university student, staff and faculty members’ interest in, access to and use of career development mechanisms • Creation of a student internship position • Focus on developing mentoring opportunities for students, staff, and faculty Upcoming Calls • Monday, May 16 (11-12 EST/10-11 CST)Discussion about options/ideas for developing a summer training institute (Meets monthly, every 3rd Monday) Chaired by Sara Benning, MLS (University of Minnesota, sbenning@umn.edu) & Stephanie Curenton, Ph.D. (Rutgers University, curenton@rutgers.edu)

9. University-Based Child & Family Policy Consortium – Visit us at http://www.childpolicyuniversityconsortium.com Research Interest Group Activities • Presentation of "works in progress" by members • Discussion of pragmatic research challenges for policy researchers Upcoming Calls • Tuesday, May 10 (1-2 EST/12-1 CST)“Navigating Promotion and Tenure as a Policy Scholar” (Speaker: Cathy Jordan, Director, Children, Youth, and Family Consortium, University of Minnesota Conference ) • Tuesday, June 14 (1-2 EST/12-1 CST)“Incorporating Biomarkers Into Policy-Relevant Social Science Research” (Speaker: Emma Adam, Associate Professor of Human Development and Social Policy, Faculty Fellow, Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University) (Meets monthly, every 2nd Tuesday) • Chaired by Rachel Gordon, Ph.D. (University of Illinois at Chicago, ragordon@uic.edu) & • Ann-Marie Iselin, Ph.D. (Duke University, annemarie.iselin@duke.edu)

10. University-Based Child & Family Policy Consortium – Visit us at http://www.childpolicyuniversityconsortium.com Engagement Interest Group Activities • Discuss effective ways for researchers to communicate their work to policymakers • Form subgroups to strategize on how to inform policy on specific issues • Advise the Consortium on ways it can use its network and website as mechanisms for delivering academic research to policymakers • Recent guest speaker: John Turcotte, Director of the Program Evaluation Division of the North Carolina General Assembly, gave a presentation on effectively communicating research to policymakers. • Current initiative: The Early Childhood subgroup is preparing to approach the National Governor’s Association on childcare licensing (Meets twice a month, every 2nd Monday & 4th Friday, 11-12 EST/10-11 CST) Chaired by Jenni Owen, MPA (Duke University, jwowen@duke.edu) & Ray Firth, Ph.D. (University of Pittsburgh, rfirth@pitt.edu).

11. Other Consortium Resources • Networking events at conferences • Website resources: • Compendium of policy-relevant research briefs and reports • Syllabifor Child & Family Policy Classesat universities nationwide • Guide to Careers in Child & Family Policy • List serve: Join our list serve and receive updates on new research funding opportunities, child and family policy events, and Consortium news. Visit usat http://www.childpolicyuniversityconsortium.com

12. Participation is encouraged at all levels by

13. Membership benefits for FACULTY & RESEARCH SCIENTISTS • Use the Consortium Interest Group network to connect with policy researchers in the same field • Get tips on how to effectively communicate your research to policymakers • Join individuals from other universities to learn about career opportunities FACULTY-SPECIFIC: • Use the Careers Interest Group as a source of support for students interested in policy-relevant tracts • Discuss how to navigate the challenges of being a policy researcher in an academic department

14. Membership benefits for STUDENTS • Use Interest Groups and Consortium events to identify possible mentors who conduct policy-relevant work in your field or assist with a Consortium project • Connect with other students across universities

15. Recent Accomplishments • Developed a strategic plan for the Consortium • Increased membership • Co-Sponsored The Edward Zigler SRCD Biennial Policy Pre-Conference: “From Neurons to… Policy” • Proposal accepted for the 2010 APPAM conference and submitted for the 2011 conference • Expanded the website to include publications, employment opportunities, and other relevant announcements.

16. More Accomplishments • Established 3 working Interest Groups • The Careers group conducted an extensive survey (N=500) of faculty and students that assessed demand for Consortium career-development services. • The Engagement group hosted calls with the National Conference of State Legislatures and the National Governor’s Association. • The Engagement group formed an early childhood subgroup. • The Research group developed a proposal in response to SRCD’s RFP in conjunction with SRCD’s strategic plan.

17. Current Consortium efforts • Create an Expert Database as a resource for policymakers seeking expert advice and researchers seeking collaborators • Create a searchable database of policy briefs • Develop a prestigious Consortium Award • Create a lecture series to communicate research on child and family policy topics to policymakers We are a young, dynamic organization that is ever-evolving to meet the needs of our members

18. Current Members See website for list of members

19. How to get involved • Join our list serve (free) • Become a member ($1,000 annual dues per organization) • Become a student intern. Contact Sara Benning at sbenning@umn.edu for details. For more information or to become a member E-mail: Shannon Smithat shannon.smith@duke.edu or call 919-613-9303 Visit us at: http://www.childpolicyuniversityconsortium.com

20. Questions?