Research Report FY2026

The FY2026 Research Report highlights the College of Education & Human Development’s continued commitment to research that informs practice, strengthens communities and addresses real-world challenges. The work and data featured in this report reflect the many ways translational research takes shape across the college, from generating new insights and testing innovative ideas to putting evidence into practice. Together, these efforts demonstrate the power of research that not only asks important questions, but carries the answers forward to create meaningful impact in Missouri and beyond.

188

Active grants

112

Active researchers

$106 million

Total anticipated

71

Principal investigators with 148 proposals submitted

25

Junior faculty with 46 proposals submitted

$95.9 million

Total submitted

Medicine $85.3 million
Ag, Food and Natural Resources $67.8 million
Engineering $33.7 million
Arts & Science $29.7 million
Education & Human Development $21.9 million
Veterinary Medicine $18.1 million
Health Sciences $10.3 million
Nursing $3.1 million
Journalism $1.4 million
Business $85,812

Academic department research grant expenditures in the College of Education & Human Development. MU Key Metrics data is reported by Shared Credit CSD (college/school/division) and AAU Contribution (Phase I, Phase II).

2022: $20.5 million
2023: $21.6 million
2024: $20.7 million
2025: $25.1 million
2026: $21.9 million

Research grant expenditures in the College of Education & Human Development, including academic departments and outreach units. MU Key Metrics data is reported by Shared Credit CSD (college/school/division). All purposes include Research, Instruction, & Other Sponsored Activity.

2022: Departments $15.9 million; Outreach units $13 million; Total $28.9 million
2023: Departments $20 million; Outreach units $17 million; Total $36.9 million
2024: Departments $20.4 million; Outreach units $16.6 million; Total $37 million
2025: Departments $26.9 million; Outreach units $20.9 million; Total $47.8 million
2026: Departments $21.3 million; Outreach units $15.9 million; Total $37.2 million

$21.1 million

Department of Education

$1.1 Million

Missouri Department of Elementary & Secondary Education

$392,554

National Science Foundation

$2.1 million

Department of Health & Human Services

$170,671

Other Federal Funding

$1.8 million

Foundations & Other Agencies

$189,459

Other Funding Sources

Tuan Nguyen, Educational Leadership & Policy Analysis, was awarded $1,200,000 by the Walton Family Foundation for the project “Educator Recruitment, Retention, and Effectiveness Center,” which started July 1, 2025.

Kale Monk and Naomi Meinertz, Human Development & Family Science, were awarded $349,997 by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture for the project “ShowMe Connection: Addressing social isolation and loneliness using a multidimensional Extension approach,” which started September 30, 2025.

Laura Ridenour, School of Information Science & Learning Technologies, was awarded $149,994 by the Institute of Museum and Library Services for the project “Leveraging AI for Documenting, Developing Understanding, Use, and Retrieval of Open Government Knowledge Organization Systems (AI-for-KOS),” which started October 1, 2025.

Rose Osnaya, Jena Morgan and Kate Sadler, Special Education, were awarded $1,249,997 by the US Department of Education for the project “Building Relationships and Knowledge for Interdisciplinary Development and Growth in Education for High-Intensity Needs (BRIDGE),” which started October 1, 2025.

Cara Wylie, eMINTS, in collaboration with Arts & Science, was awarded $2,598,184 by the US Department of Education for the project “LEGACY: Leading Educators in Government and American Civics for Youth,” which started October 1, 2025.

Amy Lannin, Learning, Teaching & Curriculum, was awarded $198,396 by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education for a continuation of her work on the “Missouri Writing Project Network” for fiscal year 2026.

Kui Xie, Educational School & Counseling Psychology, was awarded $668,115 by a subcontract with Virginia Commonwealth University from the US Department of Education for the project “Hybrid2: Creating equitable spaces for science discourse in blended learning environments,” which started July 1, 2025.

During FY2026, the Office of Research Support advanced a variety of initiatives designed to strengthen research capacity, foster collaboration and support research excellence across the College of Education & Human Development. Through communications, professional development opportunities, partnerships and research support services, the office helped connect researchers with resources, collaborators and opportunities that contributed to a thriving research community.

Communications & Visibility

The Office of Research Support promotes awareness of research activity across the college through monthly research newsletters, monthly reports for department chairs and college leadership, and ongoing communication initiatives such as Researchers@Work, Research Impact and New Research Funding. Researchers also have access to the Research Support SharePoint site, which serves as a central hub for proposal development, grant administration and other research resources.

Engagement & Community

Building a strong research culture is a key priority of the Office of Research Support. Throughout the year, the office fosters engagement through Lunch & Learn events, the Early-Career Scholars Program, departmental meetings, the College of Education & Human Development Research Day and the Graduate Student Research Symposium. The office also collaborates regularly with associate deans for research and research development colleagues across campus to strengthen connections and share best practices.

Collaboration & Partnerships

The Office of Research Support helps build meaningful partnerships that expand opportunities for research and scholarship. Efforts include supporting Edu-neering collaborations, facilitating the Columbia Public Schools Faculty Meet & Greet and working alongside Campus Foundation Relations to support foundation proposal development. These partnerships help connect researchers with new collaborators, funding opportunities and community partners.

Development & Award Support

From proposal development to project launch, the Office of Research Support provides resources that help researchers succeed. The office facilitates new grant award kick-off meetings to support effective project implementation and provides guidance for Columbia Public Schools research applications, helping researchers navigate approval processes and strengthen partnerships with school districts.

Learn more about the Office of Research Support

Research Report

From discovery to impact: Translational research that improves lives

At a glance

Research Performance Across Campus

Grant Expenditures - Research

Grant Expenditures - All Purpose

Awards by sponsor