The National Council on Family Relations (NCFR) and Carol Darling, Ph.D., CFLE, are proud to announce the creation of the NCFR Darling Family Life Education Research Initiative Grant. This new $5,000 biennial grant will be available to current NCFR members working to integrate research into the practice of Family Life Education, a priority for both NCFR and Dr. Darling.

The NCFR Darling Grant can help Family Life Educators, researchers, and programs that often lack funding to conduct research needed to support and maintain their projects and services.

“Throughout my career as a professor, I experienced firsthand the value of integrating research into the practice of Family Life Education (FLE),” said Dr. Darling, an NCFR Fellow, NCFR past president, and the Margaret Sandels Professor Emerita of Human Sciences at Florida State University. “Therefore, I created this research initiative grant to encourage, support, and advance the practice of Family Life Education.”

The first round of NCFR Darling Grant proposals will be accepted beginning March 1, 2024, with an application deadline of April 1, 2024. Proposals will be reviewed, and a decision made by Aug. 1, 2024. The research should be completed by Nov. 1, 2025.

The call for grant proposals is intentionally broad to encourage a variety of innovative projects that meet the grant objectives. Grant proposals should clearly state how the project bridges research and the practice of Family Life Education.

The principal investigator (PI) must be a current NCFR member and maintain membership throughout the duration of the grant. An application for Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval must be submitted prior to submitting a grant application.

Find complete details about the grant, eligibility criteria, and application process and requirements at ncfr.org/ncfr-darling-grant.

Dr. Darling has demonstrated a long commitment to teaching and research in Family Life Education and has made significant contributions to NCFR and to the Certified Family Life Educator (CFLE) credential. As an NCFR member for 50 years and a CFLE for over 35 years, she has received numerous NCFR accolades and awards for her outstanding service to the CFLE credential, as well as for her leadership and excellence in the teaching of family relationships.

NCFR is delighted to help Dr. Darling create a lasting legacy of new research that will support effective program design, implementation, and evaluation to meet the diverse and evolving needs of families.

The National Council on Family Relations is the premier professional association for understanding and strengthening families through interdisciplinary research, theory, and practice. NCFR has a membership of nearly 3,000 family researchers, educators, practitioners, and students. For more information on the National Council on Family Relations or its scholarly publications, including the Journal of Marriage and Family, visit the NCFR website at ncfr.org.