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Calling Proposal Mentors / Volunteer to Review Proposals / Apply to be a Family Relations Fellow / Purchase NCFR 2024 Recordings / Apply to NCFR's Olson Grant / CFLE Scholarship / Congratulations to 2024 NCFR Award Recipient / Call for Articles |
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NCFR Weekly Zippy News
Thursday, March 6, 2025 |
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• Submit Your Proposal to NCFR 2025!
• Become a Family Relations Fellow
• Olson Grant: Apply by April 1
• CFLE Conversations: FREE for CFLEs |
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• Apply for CFLE Scholarship
• NCFR 2024 Award Recipient
• Video of the Week
• PLUS Employment Opportunities |
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Submit Your Proposal to NCFR 2025
NCFR 2025 / Nov. 19-22 / Baltimore, Maryland / Baltimore Marriott Waterfront
Conference Theme: "Power, Privilege, and Difference: Lived Experiences of Changing Families and Societies"
The time has come for you to submit your completed research, or research in progress to the 2025 NCFR Annual Conference! The proposal submission system will be open until April 1, 2025, 11:59 p.m. PDT.
This year, NCFR brings some changes to your proposal submission process:
• Additional time to submit your work for consideration! By starting later in the year, it gave you more time on all of your calendars (academic, personal, professional) to ready your submission
• A different proposal submission system! Submit your proposal using our streamlined portal
• Proposals need only be, at most, 500 words! This is a substantial difference from previous years
• A unified call for proposals! Instead of submitting your proposal to a specific NCFR section, you will be able to select up to three of NCFR's sections and/or NCFR's SNP group—whichever most aligns with your topic!
• Refined subject areas! Options have been streamlined from nearly 400 to about 50. This allows for curated sessions that integrate multiple NCFR section perspectives.
PLUS, this year you may submit your research in progress that will be sufficiently developed by the time of the conference.
We are excited about this year's reimagined annual conference and cannot wait to share in the excitement with you in Baltimore, Maryland! See you there!
>>Deadline: April 1, 2025, 11:59 p.m. PDT<<
READ MORE |
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NCFR 2025 & YOU |
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NCFR Member Opportunity
Call for Conference Proposal Reviewers
Sign up by April 1
A high number of proposals is expected for this year's conference. We can certainly benefit from NCFR members assistance as conference proposal reviewers for 2025. Your involvement ensures a high-quality program (all proposals will be blind-reviewed). Serving as a proposal reviewer is a benefit of NCFR membership.
>>Sign up for this member-only opportunity by April 1.<< (login required)
Reviews must be completed between April 7 and April 21, 2025. Assigned reviewers will be notified on April 7 via email.
Not a member? Join or renew your membership and you too can partake in this volunteer opportunity
LEARN MORE & SIGN UP |
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Proposal Mentoring Program
Submit Draft Proposal by March 11
NCFR offers a conference proposal mentoring program to help you with your proposal this year. We have assembled a cadre of experienced presenters, with whom you will be matched with, to be a supportive mentor and provide you with feedback prior to you submitting your proposal this year.
To participate, email a draft proposal to Cindy Winter by March 11, 2025.
LEARN MORE |
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MEMBER OPPORTUNITIES & UPDATES |
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Funding Opportunity for NCFR members
Apply to the NCFR Olson Grant
Deadline: April 1, 11:59 p.m. CT
The NCFR Olson Grant: Bridging Research, Theory, and Practice has begun its fifth year of accepting applications. This $10,000 annual grant — made possible by namesake and benefactor David H. Olson, Ph.D. — is available to current NCFR members working to creatively contribute to the discipline of Family Science by uniting research, theory, and practice in their work.
To learn more about bridging research, theory, and practice, applicants are encouraged to watch the NCFR webinar presented by Dr. Olson, "Circumplex Model and PREPARE/ENRICH: Bridging Research, Theory, and Practice" —free to NCFR members.
READ MORE
*Faculty members, postdocs, and doctoral students nearing completion of their dissertations may apply. An application for Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval must be submitted prior to submitting a grant application.
Nonmembers may become a member to apply for the grant.
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FAMILY SCIENCE |
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NCFR Journals
Apply for a Family Relations Editorial Fellowship
Apply by March 10
The editorial team of NCFR’s Family Relations: Interdisciplinary Journal of Applied Family Science is seeking three Editorial Fellows, with the objective of increasing participation in the editorial process for early-career professionals and those who have an interest in Family Science. Persons whose voices have historically been underrepresented are encouraged to apply.
Fellows will develop experience with and skills in manuscript review, engage in each stage of the editorial process, evaluate translational implications of research, and become familiar with Family Science research from around the world.
Apply by March 10, 2025. Successful candidates will be notified by late March 2025. Fellowships will run from April 15, 2025, to April 14, 2027.
LEARN MORE & APPLY |
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IN NCFR NEWS |
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NCFR Seeks Executive Director
The National Council on Family Relations (NCFR) is pleased to share some exciting news—we are embarking on a search for Executive Director. This visionary leader will champion Family Science, advance our vision, and foster a thriving, inclusive community of researchers, educators, students, practitioners, and policy workers.
Share this opportunity with your networks and encourage qualified candidates to apply. We need your help, in this pivotal moment, to find the right leader to guide NCFR into the future. Thank you for your support!
READ MORE ABOUT THE SEARCH |
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NCFR RESEARCH |
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NCFR Journals
New NCFR Research
Published between Feb. 23—March 1
Each week, we look to share some of the latest research from all three of NCFR's scholarly journals advancing Family Science — Journal of Marriage and Family (JMF), Family Relations: Interdisciplinary Journal of Applied Family Science (FR), and Journal of Family Theory & Review (JFTR).
Check out these early-view articles written by some of NCFR's members published in JFTR, FR, and JMF (respectively):
• Clarifying relationship instability: Exploring the vital role of change in commitment — NCFR members: J. Kale Monk, Ph.D., CFLE, Brian G. Ogolsky, Ph.D., Christine M. Proulx, Ph.D.
In this JFTR article, the authors present approaches to operationalize relationship instability. Authors convey that instability is not synonymous with divorce (or dissolution more generally) and that dichotomous, single time-point assessments of instability limits the understanding of many dynamics. Additionally, the authors admonish researchers to overtly define the component, relationship instability.
• Beyond collectivism and individualism: Chinese international students' perceptions of contemporary child-centered parenting — Jiayi Liu, doctoral student, M.A., Qi Huang, doctoral candidate, B.S., NCFR member Hye-Jin Park, doctoral student, B.A., Desiree B. Qin, Ed.D.
The authors' findings in this FR article highlight a nuanced cultural shift, from family centered to child centered, in contemporary Chinese parenting– offering a basis for future research and interventions attuned to changing family dynamics in diverse cultural contexts. Further, practitioners are encouraged to incorporate both traditional and Western cultural values in developing parenting programs.
• A longitudinal dyadic analysis of gender ideology during the transition into parenthood — Yexin Zheng, Ph.D., Senhu Wang, Ph.D., NCFR member Muzhi Zhou, Ph.D.
The authors of this JMF article provide insights into the couple dynamics of gender ideology changes during the transition into parenthood, showing an interplay between own & spousal gender ideologies, and economic power. This discovery not only reveals a pathway for furthering the understanding of gender ideology in these transitions, but can also advance the progress of the gender revolution.
Many of the early-view articles this week focused on research that can inform parent education.
VIEW MORE NEW EARLY-VIEW ARTICLES
NCFR members with journal subscriptions have access to the full text of articles on the journals section of the website. You can get immediate notifications of new articles submitted to NCFR's journals by signing up for email alerts. Seize the opportunity— get your manuscript published in an NCFR journal! Check out some tips & strategies before doing so. |
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NCFR's NEW Publication
NCFR Nexus is Coming Fall 2025
We are excited to share that starting in fall 2025, NCFR’s quarterly publications Family Focus (currently part of *NCFR Report) and CFLE Network will transition into a new, quarterly, digital-only publication called NCFR Nexus. This publication, designed for NCFR members and Certified Family Life Educators (CFLEs), will serve as a central hub for sharing and gathering information across NCFR’s transdisciplinary community of researchers, educators, practitioners, and policymakers. You can be an NCFR member or a CFLE to access NCFR Nexus–you do not need to be both. NCFR welcomes Beth Maddock Magistad, Ph.D., CFLE, as the editor of NCFR Nexus.
Through diverse authorship and a commitment to research and practice integration, NCFR Nexus will support NCFR’s new mission by:
✔️ Advancing a thriving transdisciplinary field
✔️ Expanding scientific knowledge and application
✔️ Contributing to just societies through informed perspectives
As a member and CFLE benefit, NCFR Nexus will continue to provide exclusive, high-quality content to support professional growth and impact. Stay tuned to NCFR communication channels for more details in the coming months!
To support this transition, the winter 2024, spring 2025, and summer 2025 issues of Family Focus and the winter 2025 and spring 2025 issues of CFLE Network will be digital-only. Additionally, there will not be a summer 2025 issue of CFLE Network as we focus on developing NCFR Nexus. NCFR appreciates your understanding as we work to bring you an enhanced and more impactful publication.
*NCFR Report will continue as its own separate publication for news and member updates.
More information, pertaining to themes, call for authors, guidelines, is forthcoming.
Thank you for being a part of the NCFR community. If you have any questions, please contact Jessica Oswald. |
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YOUR TICKET TO NCFR 2024 |
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Pictured above: Special Session, Social Interdependence and Solitude-Everyday Dynamics in Older Couples (just one of NCFR 2024 recorded sessions)
2024 NCFR Annual Conference Recordings Available
Conference recordings have moved from Whova to the NCFR website
If you missed NCFR 2024, you can access up to 15 video recordings—all of which are available for purchase on the NCFR website. This package includes all 4 plenary sessions, 9 special sessions, 1 invited presenter symposium, and 1 symposium. PURCHASE CONFERENCE SESSIONS—if you did not register for the 2024 NCFR Annual Conference.
Conference registrants—whether you paid to attend in person or Bridge—can now access recordings on the NCFR website. This free access is a benefit of your 2024 NCFR Annual Conference registration! ACCESS RECORDINGS—if you were a conference registrant (login required)
**You can also request to use NCFR Annual Conference sessions in your classes with your students, or amongst your colleagues and constituents in your department or organization. The conference sessions can connect very well to your pedagogy, organization's goals, in your Family Life Education work, and more!
>>START NOW—REQUEST A CLASSROOM LICENSE<< |
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CFLE CONVERSATIONS |
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CFLE Conversations
Death, Dying, and Bereavement in Family Life Education
Wed., March 12 / Noon – 1 p.m. CT
Facilitator: Susan Maxymiv, M.A., CFLE-Retired, CT
FREE for CFLEs / Renew your CFLE credential
Are you a CFLE with experience in death, dying, and bereavement? This networking event welcomes your questions, experiences, resources, challenges, and successes. Connect with professionals who work in similar fields or share your interests!
For more than 30 years, Susan Maxymiv, M.A., CFLE-Retired, CT, has worked passionately in the fields of thanatology (death, dying, and bereavement), gerontology, and Family Life Education. As a practitioner, she has been the director of a community senior center and a funeral home bereavement care program. Ms. Maxymiv has worked with first responders utilizing critical incident stress management/debriefing, and in hospice bereavement care. As an academic, she taught bereavement courses at Kent State University.
Join Ms. Maxymiv and other CFLEs for an insightful discussion on end-of-life work.
RESERVE YOUR SEAT |
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CFLE Conversations
Cultural Agility in Family Life Education
Wed., May 7 / Noon – 1 p.m. CT
Facilitator: Marcy Peake, M.A., LPC, NCC, CFLE
FREE for CFLEs / Renew your CFLE credential
Are you curious about effective strategies CFLEs utilize to enhance Culturally Agile collaboration and communication in Family Life Education? Join CFLEs of various personal and social identities to discuss how to authentically engage and share space with others.
For 30 years, Marcy L. Peake, M.A., LPC, NCC, CFLE, has authored curricula, and created course content on race, gender, culture, and youth development, and served pre-K–12 youth and families. She is the founder of The Center for Cultural Agility, a licensed professional and national certified counselor, Certified Family Life Educator, and Great Start to Quality trainer. Ms. Peake is a national consultant and speaker on diversity, equity, and inclusion in education, youth development, and community engagement. She has taught graduate and undergraduate students and served as the Director of Diversity and Community Outreach Initiatives at Western Michigan University. Ms. Peake has experience on school boards and committees and approaches her work from her multi-racial, multi-ethnic, and multi-cultural identities, research, service, and scholarship.
Don't miss your chance to network with Ms. Peake and other CFLEs committed to advancing cultural agility in their work and communities.
RESERVE YOUR SEAT |
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CFLE NEWS & UPDATES |
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Academic Programs Renew CFLE Approval
NCFR is pleased to announce that degree programs at Utah State University, University of Montevallo, and University of Northern Iowa have recently renewed their CFLE-approved status.
• Utah State University - B.S. and B.A. in Human Development and Family Studies
• University of Montevallo - B.S. and B.A. in Family and Consumer Sciences
• University of Northern Iowa - B.A. in Family Services
Graduates of these programs can now apply for the CFLE credential through the CFLE-approved program process once they have completed the identified CFLE coursework.
Thank you to these programs for their dedication to Family Life Education. For a list of CFLE-approved programs, visit NCFR’s Degree Programs Guide.
READ MORE |
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Scholarship Available for First-Time Applicants to the CFLE Credential
Apply by April 15
Students finishing a degree program from a CFLE-approved program or individuals applying through the CFLE exam can apply to become a Certified Family Life Educator (CFLE) and further boost their professional credibility. Learn about CFLE certification
An added bonus is that first-time CFLE applicants can apply for the CFLE Scholarship which covers up to 50% of their first application fee.
• If your current degree program is CFLE-approved, you can apply after you graduate for certification. Search the list of programs with approved curricula.
• If your program is not on the list, you can take the CFLE exam.
Funds are also available to cover 100% of the CFLE Annual Fee for existing CFLEs. Apply for the CFLE scholarship
The CFLE Scholarship Fund and Annual Fee Waiver are needs-based. Make a donation
APPLY FOR THE CFLE SCHOLARSHIP—Deadline is Tuesday, April 15. |
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CFLE Network: Family Resource Management
Submit Articles by March 15
The spring 2025 issue of CFLE Network will explore Family Resource Management (FRM), one of the 10 content areas required to become a Certified Family Life Educator (CFLE). FRM is an important, and often stressful, topic for families. Across time, many families navigate scarce resources such as time or money, value or goal conflicts, and difficult decision-making. CFLEs have the knowledge and tools to support families on the journey toward better resource management. Share how you address FRM in your Family Life Education (FLE) work.
The submission deadline is March 15. Please review the author guidelines. Use our CFLE Network Article Submission Form to submit your article. Contact the CFLE Network Editor Beth Magistad, Ph.D., CFLE, with any questions or more information.
READ FULL CALL |
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CONGRATULATIONS, NCFR MEMBERS |
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NCFR Awards & Recognition
Felix Berardo Award
Congratulations to Melinda Gonzales Backen, Ph.D., as the 2024 recipient of the Felix Berardo Scholarship Award for Mentoring, which acknowledges an NCFR member for excellence in mentoring junior colleagues, graduate students, or undergraduate students, thereby providing opportunities for continued professional development.
Dr. Gonzales-Backen is an associate professor and Associate Chair of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.
Dr. Gonzales-Backen is recognized for possessing a dedicated history of mentoring Latinx graduate students who become faculty members at research institutions. She mentors and advocates for students in Latinx organizations, national scholarship organizations, and is remarked for being an inspiration to, and overwhelmingly supportive of her students. She is on the faculty panel for an initiative that supports the college transition of first-generation students from limited income families.
READ MORE |
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Video of the Week
Celebrate Irish American Heritage Month
This week, we recognize & celebrate Irish American, American Irish Heritage Month. In this video, the speaker shares contributions some individuals made—from innovative transportation, arts, and culture, Irish immigrants for generations left deep roots in the American landscape.
WATCH VIDEO
Do you have a video of a local news story from your area, or something notable? Email a link to Kristal Johnson and perhaps we will feature it in Zippy News!
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NCFR JOBS CENTER |
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New Employment Opportunities
Employers: Get your job opening included in Zippy News by posting it in
NCFR's online Jobs Center! Get started here. |
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