KU News Release

Todd Little

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• College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

LAWRENCE — The University of Kansas College of Liberal Arts and Sciences has created a center to provide resources and support to help social and behavioral scientists to compete for grants and publish in top journals.

The new Center for Research Methods and Data Analysis establishes a centralized assembly of expert methodologists, statisticians and applied researchers from across KU. It also offers access to the latest research tools and methods.

“The potential for new discoveries is endless with all this expertise gathered in one place,” said Greg Simpson, interim dean of the College. “I look forward to the new chapter in research excellence sure to develop as a result of this center.”

The mission of the center, to help initiate and develop research programs, is something the director, Todd Little, has been doing as part of his appointment in the Life Span Institute since his arrival at KU eight years ago. He has helped several colleagues to navigate and implement the increasingly advanced techniques necessary to produce leading research.

“Our research questions are becoming more complex and require more sophisticated tools,” said Little, a professor of psychology. “If we want to publish in top journals and garner grants, then we have to be using top-of-the-line tools.”

Little recently assisted colleague Yo Jackson in developing a proposal that led to a $1.7 million grant from the National Institutes of Health and National Institutes of Mental Health. Jackson, an associate professor of applied behavioral science and clinical child psychology, will use her grant to try to improve treatment for children exposed to trauma or abuse by studying youth who seem to be more resilient than others.

Little expects to see the number of similar success stories multiply with the more formalized resources the center provides.

Another goal of the center is to support the educational mission of the university. Little envisions internships, colloquia, brown bags and other programs that will inform researchers about the latest tools and how they can be applied in their own work.

The center will also provide a rich educational experience for students, who along with faculty, will serve as affiliates of the center. Students in the social and behavioral sciences methodology minor program will gain hands-on experience in designing research studies and analyzing data, providing them with skills necessary to excel in graduate studies or research careers.

Beginning mid-January, the center will be at Room 470 in Watson Library. In the meantime, assistance is available by contacting Little at (785) 864-9804 or yhat@ku.edu.