Office of Educational Research Submitted Proposals – April 2026

Submitted Proposals – April 2026

May 14, 2026

Principal Investigator: Kristy Boyer (Engineering)

Co-PI: Jennifer Nichols (Engineering), Anthony Botelho (STL)

Funding Agency: National Science Foundation

Proposal Title: Advancing AI Learning through a Movement-Based After-School Program for Upper Elementary Youth

Requested Amount: $750,000


Principal Investigator: Joni Splett (SESPECS)

Co-PI: Catherine Corbin (SESPECS)

Funding Agency: Medical University of South Carolina

Proposal Title: AI-Enhanced Team Monitoring to Improve Youth Mental-Health Referrals in Schools

Requested Amount: $138,700


Principal Investigator: Joni Splett (SESPECS)

Co-PI: John Cooley (SESPECS), Catherine Corbin (SESPECS)

Funding Agency: Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute

Proposal Title: Comparative Effectiveness of School-Based Mental Health Services

Requested Amount: $1,167,106


Principal Investigator: Elyssa Geer (AZCEECS)

Co-PI: Lisa Scott (Psychology), Kathryn Chapman (SESPECS), Avery Closser (STL)

Funding Agency: Spencer Foundation

Proposal Title: Examining the Impact of Early Exposure

Requested Amount: $49,999


Principal Investigator: Alexis Cobo (STL)

Co-PI: Maya Israel (STL)

Funding Agency: US Department of Education

Proposal Title: Expanded Computer Science Professional Development Week (E_CSPD_Wk)

Requested Amount: $3,762


Principal Investigator: Kristi Cheyney-Collante (Lastinger)

Co-PI: N/A

Funding Agency: School District of Hillsborough County

Proposal Title: HCPS Early Childhood Coaching Certification 2026-27

Requested Amount: $49,900


Principal Investigator: Phil Poekert (Lastinger)

Co-PI: Zandra De Araujo (Lastinger)

Funding Agency: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Proposal Title: LEVI and Education R&D Ecosystem Supports

Requested Amount: $233,531


Principal Investigator: Maya Israel (STL)

Co-PI: Thomas McKlin (Other Professional), Christian Christensen (Agriculture), Meize Guo (STL), Pavlo Antonenko (STL)

Funding Agency: US Department of Agriculture

Proposal Title: PizzAIria: Engaging Rural Youth in Non-formal AI-Enabled Agriculture And Food Systems Education

Requested Amount: $1,934,143


Principal Investigator: Herman Knopf (AZCEECS)

Co-PI: Phillip Sherlock (AZCEECS), Mary Rodgers (AZCEECS)

Funding Agency: US Department of Health and Human Services

Proposal Title: Preschool Development Grant Birth-Five

Requested Amount: $2,716,549


Principal Investigator: Catherine Corbin (SESPECS)

Co-PI: N/A

Funding Agency: William T. Grant Foundation

Proposal Title: Redesigning Research Evidence: Applying Human-Centered Design to Improve Administrator Decision-Making About Social-Emotional Learning Programs

Requested Amount: $52,604


Principal Investigator: Paige Carter (SHDOSE)

Co-PI: Laura Shannonhouse (SHDOSE), Amber Moss-Lazarczyk (SHDOSE)

Funding Agency: American Psychological Foundation

Proposal Title: Sacred Bodies, Scrutinized Selves: The Influence of Religious Purity Culture Beliefs on Self-Objectification, Appearance Anxiety, and Sexual Shame

Requested Amount: $20,000


Principal Investigator: Tyran Butler (Lastinger)

Co-PI: Kristi Cheyney-Collante (Lastinger)

Funding Agency: Sarasota County

Proposal Title: Sarasota County Schools SG PL 2024-27 – Supplement 2 & PI Change

Requested Amount: $58,500


Principal Investigator: Walter Leite (SHDOSE)

Co-PI: Ying Liu (Linguistics), Anthony Botelho (STL), Anne Manley (SHDOSE), Eunjin Shin (SHDOSE), Daryn Dever (STL), Seyedahmad Rahimi (STL), Emmanuel Dorley (Engineering), Holly Lane (SESPECS), Stephanie Snidarich (SHDOSE), Angelos Barmpoutis (Digital World)

Funding Agency: Renaissance Philanthropy Fund

Proposal Title: Storiza Sagas

Requested Amount: $3,998,748


Principal Investigator: Phillip Sherlock (AZCEECS)

Co-PI: Herman Knopf (AZCEECS)

Funding Agency: Early Learning Coalition of Miami-Dade/Monroe

Proposal Title: Technical Assistance ELC Miami

Requested Amount: $88,031