The Nebraska Research Report Highlights 2025 Awards for Research

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The Nebraska Research Report is a key University of Nebraska-Lincoln marketing publication primarily geared toward a national audience of peer institutions, Big Ten academic leaders, federal program officers, partners, alumni and friends, and scientific and higher education media. See the full report at research.unl.edu/annualreport/2025.

The 2025 awards for Public Policy Center researchers and faculty fellows include the following:

Awards of $1 Million to $4,999,999

  • Nebraska Comprehensive Suicide Prevention Project: $2,265,000, DHHS-CDC, 9/15/2023 - 09/14/2027.
    Denise Bulling & Stacey Hoffman - University of Nebraska Public Policy Center.
  • Global Centers: Food Innovation and Diversification to Advance the Bioeconomy: $2,000,000, NSF, 01/01/2025 - 12/31/2027. Ozan Ciftci, UNL Food Science and Technology; Lisa PytlikZillig, University of Nebraska Public Policy Center; Mariah Johnson, Counseling and Psychological Services; Jocelyn Bosley, Office of Research and Innovation/Physics and Astronomy; Edgar Cahoon, Biochemistry/Center for Plant Science Innovation; George Graef, Agronomy and Horticulture; Mohammad Rashedul Hasan, Electrical and Computer Engineering; Julia McQuillan, Sociology.
  • Supporting School Threat Assessment Teams Via the Implementation of a Statewide Anonymous Reporting System: $1,281,919, DOJ-BJA, 10/01/2021 - 09/30/2025. Mario Scalora & Denise Bulling - University of Nebraska Public Policy Center.
     

Awards of $250,000 to $999,999

  • Nebraska 988 Expansion and Enhancement Project: $258,433, Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, 01/01/2023 - 04/29/2025. Denise Bulling - University of Nebraska Public Policy Center.
  • An Evidence-Based Approach to Preventing Student Suicide at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln 2022-2025: $666,739 DHHS-SAMHSA, 9/30/2022 - 09/29/2025. Denise Bulling & Stacey Hoffman - University of Nebraska Public Policy Center; Mariah Johnson, UNL Counseling and Psychological Services.
  • Evaluation of the Invent to Prevent Student Innovation Lab to Prevent Targeted Violence: $581,298, University of Nebraska-Omaha, 9/30/2022 - 03/17/2025. Denise Bulling, Stacey Hoffman, and Mario Scalora - University of Nebraska Public Policy Center.
  • NRI: Collaborative Research: Adaptive Multi-Robot Configurable Teams Investigating Changing Ecosystem: $991,860, NSF, 10/01/2022 - 09/30/2025. Duncan Brittany & Carrick Detweiler - University of Nebraska-Lincoln Department of Computing.
  • NRI: INT: Leveraging Environmental Monitoring UAS in Rainforests: $722,804, NSF, 10/01/2019 - 09/30/2024. Duncan Brittany & Carrick Detweiler - University of Nebraska-Lincoln Department of Computing.
  • Co-LEARN: A Midwestern Community of Learning for Empowerment, Climate Adaptation and Resilience for the Next Generation: $308,933, University of Iowa, 09/01/2023 - 08/31/2025. Rezaul Mahmood, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Department of Natural Resources; Lisa PytlikZilillig, University of Nebraska Public Policy Center; Michael Hayes, UNL Natural Resources; Aemal Khattak UNL Civil and Environmental Engineering; Tirthankar Roy, UNL Civil and Environmental Engineering.
  • Evaluation of State Opioid Response IV Grant: $621,829, Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, 09/30/2024 - 09/29/2027. Jennifer Meek, Megan Luther, University of Nebraska Public Policy Center.
  • School Mental Health Services GLOW Program Growing Guaranteed Access to Localized School Mental Health Services and Outreach to Underserved Students through a Whole Child Approach: $512, 692, Educational Service Unit #3, 01/01/2025 - 12/31/2029. Jennifer Meek, Ashley Miller, Janell Walther, University of Nebraska Public Policy Center.  
  • Engaging Nebraska Educators in Mental Health Awareness Training: $493,225, DHHS-SAMHSA, 12/31/2022 - 09/29/2026. Jennifer Meek, Denise Bulling, University of Nebraska Public Policy Center.  
  • Pediatric Mental Health Care Access Program: $300,000, Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, 09/30/2023 - 09/29/2026. Jennifer Meek, University of Nebraska Public Policy Center.  
  • Expansion Project to Address the National Surge in Behavioral Health Needs among Children and Adolescents: $300,000, Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, 09/30/2022 - 09/29/2024. Jennifer Meek, University of Nebraska Public Policy Center.  
  • ESU 2 Project AWARE and Mental Health Initiatives Evaluation: $290,344, Educational Service Unit 2, 01/01/2024 - 12/31/2026. Jennifer Meek, Janell Walther, University of Nebraska Public Policy Center.
  • Evaluation of Nebraska Opioid Response Grant: $254,363,  Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, 09/30/2022 - 09/29/2024. Jennifer Meek, University of Nebraska Public Policy Center.
  • UNL Response: RFP 24-142 SM & BC Consultant Proposal to Divert Landfill Food & Recyclable Waste: A Community-Based and Research-Based Social Marketing Approach: $361,500, City of Lincoln, 10/22/2024 - 05/31/2027. Jennifer Meek, University of Nebraska Public Policy Center; Janell Walther, University of Nebraska Public Policy Center; Kurt Mantonya, University of Nebraska Public Policy Center; Morgan Hartman, University Operations; Cory Armstrong, UNL College of Journalism and Mass Communications.
  • Behavioral Threat Assessment & Management Technical Assistance: $500,000, Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, 07/01/2023 - 06/30/2025. Mario Scalora, University of Nebraska Public Policy Center; Denise Bulling, University of Nebraska Public Policy Center.
  • Incidence of Ideologically Influenced Threatening and Violent Activity in Rural Communities: $772,955, DOJ-NIJ, 01/01/2022 - 12/31/2025. Mario Scalora, University of Nebraska Public Policy Center; Denise Bulling & Stacey Hoffman, University of Nebraska Public Policy Center.
  • The Role of Leadership Identity in Developing Noncommissioned Officers for the Future Force (B4): $719,589, DOD-Army Research Institute for the Behavioral & Social Sciences, 05/21/2021 - 09/20/2024. Mario Scalora, University of Nebraska Public Policy Center; Denise Bulling, University of Nebraska Public Policy Center; L.J McElravy, Agricultural Leadership Education and Communication.
  • City of Lincoln Workforce Development: Evaluation & Technical Assistance: $280,229, City of Lincoln, 05/05/2022 - 12/31/2026. Janell Walther, University of Nebraska Public Policy Center.
  • DISES-RCN: Resilience in Agricultural Socio-Environmental Systems: $403,020, NSF, 10/01/2021 - 09/30/2025. Craig Allen, UNL Natural Resources; Tala Awada, UNL Natural Resources.
  • Climate-Smart Indigenous Agriculture: Drought Planning and Adaptation with New Mexico Pueblos: $297,800, USDA-NRCS, 03/31/2022 - 03/29/2025. Tonya Haigh, UNL Natural Resources; Deboray Bathke and Cody Knutson, UNL Natural Resources.
  • The Efficacy of Air Filters in Classrooms on Student Academic and Learning Outcomes: $556,003, Nebraska Department of Education, 09/06/2021 - 06/30/2025. Josephine Lau, Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction; Jim Bovaird, Educational Psychology/Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families and Schools.
  • NRI: Collaborative Research: Adaptive Multi-Robot Configurable Teams Investigating Changing Ecosystem: $991,860, NSF, 10/01/2022 - 09/30/2025. Brittany Duncan, UNL Computing; Carrick Detweiler, UNL Computing.
  • NRI: INT: Leveraging Environmental Monitoring UAS in Rainforests: $722,804, NSF, 10/01/2019 - 09/30/2024. Brittany Duncan, UNL Computing; Carrick Detweiler, UNL Computing.
  • Advancing Graduate Psychology Education in Primary Care: $724,512, DHHS-HRSA, 07/01/2022 - 06/30/2025. Trey Andrews, UNL Psychology/Rural Drug Addiction Research Center; David Hansen, Tierney Lorenz, & Dennis McChargue, UNL Psychology/Rural Drug Addiction Research Center.
  • Accelerating Adoption of Irrigation Scheduling with Satellite-Based Precision Evapotranspiration from OpenET: $671,980, NASA, 08/18/2022 - 06/30/2026. Francisco Munoz-Arriola, UNL Natural Resources.
  • Computer Science: Focusing on Undergraduate Pre-Service Teachers, with Unified Research, Ecosystems, and Structures (CS Futures): $524,290, NSF, 09/15/2024 - 08/31/2028. Leen-Kiat Soh, UNL Computing/Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families and Schools; Gwen Nugent, Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families and Schools; Wendy Smith, UNL Mathematics/Center for Science, Mathematics and Computer Education/Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families, and Schools; Guy Trainin, Teaching, Learning and Teacher Education/Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families, and Schools.
  • Collaborative Research: RI: Medium: RUI: Automated Decision Making for Open Multiagent Systems: $424,916, NSF, 08/01/2023 - 07/31/2027. Leen-Kiat Soh, UNL Computing/Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families and Schools.
  • Improving Hydrological Drought Monitoring Capability of the US Drought Monitor: $555,362, NASA, 08/17/2022 - 08/16/2026. Tirthankar Roy, UNL Civil and Environmental Engineering; Tonya Haigh & Mark Svoboda, UNL Natural Resources.
  • Impacts of Conservation Practices on the Water Quality and Quantity in the Shell Creek Watershed, Nebraska: $318,300, Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy, 09/01/2021 - 04/30/2025. Tirthankar Roy, UNL Civil and Environmental Engineering; Andrea Basche, UNL Agronomy and Horticulture.
  • Beyond the Farm Gate: Building a Leadership Development System to Support Rural Community Wellbeing and Prosperity: $647,932, USDA-NIFA, 06/01/2023 - 05/31/2026. Lindsay Hastings, UNL Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communication; Mary Emery, Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communication; Jordan Grummert Rasmussen, UNL NE Extension Engagement Zone 2; L.J. McElracy, Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communication; Eric Thompson, UNL Economics.
  • Identifying and Prioritizing Habitat for Pheasant Conservation and Management in Agriculturally Dominated Landscapes: $699,940, Nebraska Game and parks Commission, 01/01/2021 - 06/30/2025. Andrew Little, UNL Natural Resources; John Carroll, UNL Natural Resources, Larkin Powell, UNL Natural Resources; Dirac Twidwell, UNL Agronomy and Horticulture; Daniel Uden, UNL Natural Resources.
  • Technical Support to Address Biome Threats in the Great Plains: $394,677, Pheasants Forever, 06/15/2022 - 09/15/2024. Dirac Twidwell, UNL Agronomy and Horticulture; Daniel Uden, UNL Agronomy and Horticulture/Natural Resources.
  • Enhancing Livestock Production from Rangelands in the Great Plains: $745,202, Texas A&M University of Texas AgriLife, 07/01/2019 - 06/30/2026. Dirac Twidwell, UNL Agronomy and Horticulture; Jenny Keshwani, UNL Biological Systems Engineering.
  • Science Outcomes Support for Conservation Reserve Program (CRP): $717,720, USDA-NRCS, 09/21/2022 - 12/31/2027. Dirac Twidwell, UNL Agronomy and Horticulture.