Collaborative on Global Children's Issues

The collaborative's research grants are designed to network Georgetown centers and programs and bring faculty together with leading scholars and experts to advance research on issues affecting children worldwide.

2022 Collaborative Research Grants

We are pleased to announce the grant recipients for 2022:

Youth Mental Health Matters: A Community-Based Exploration of Mental Health in Ghana

Dionne Smith Coker-Appiah, Department of Psychiatry

Erica E. Coates, Department of Psychiatry

Denisha Carter, Department of Psychiatry

LaTasha Seliby Perkins, Department of Family Medicine

The research project brings together Georgetown University faculty and key partners with youth mental health expertise in Accra, Ghana, in an effort to begin to develop a community-based, culturally-appropriate exploration of youth mental health needs and assets. This efforts builds upon an existing project, Africa's Mental Health Matters - Ghana Workshop, and aims to (a) build a youth-focused community-academic partnership that will guide the exploration; (b) host a seminar designed to explore youth mental health among key community and academic stakeholders; (c) conduct community site visits and host a youth-focused community forum that will provide additional knowledge and insight about youth mental health needs and assets; and (d) collaboratively develop a research and outreach plan to transition the work from exploration and planning to a research and outreach phase.

Children, Youth, and the Use of Video Technology in Immigration Proceedings

Jennifer Woolard, Department of Psychology

Rachel Barr, Department of Psychology

Katharine Donato, Institute for the Study of International Migration, Department of Sociology

Jeanine Turner, Communication, Culture and Technology Program

Since 2008, rising numbers of unaccompanied children have arrived at the southern U.S. border. In 2021, approximately 145,000 unaccompanied children entered—the largest number in recorded U.S. history. These children and youth seek protection related to organized crime, domestic violence, and exploitation in their countries of origin. Despite having no right to government-provided legal representation, many children and youth seek relief in immigration court, which is faced with a backlog of more than one million cases. In response, more legal hearings are being held using interpretation and technological services, e.g. telephonic- and video-conferencing. This project will convene scholars across multiple disciplines and legal advocates to (a) document the current state of Video Teleconferences (VTCs), or hearings by video, with children involved in immigration proceedings; (b) identify priority questions and concerns regarding the use of VTCs; (c) review existing research on the use of VTCs and related scientific concepts and theories; (d) identify research gaps and develop a research agenda; (e) plan for a research review paper and pilot research projects.

For more information about the application process for seed grants please visit Collaborative Research Grants.