Research

Stoneleigh Center's fellowship program seeks to unite research with policy change and practice improvement. We believe that although children and youth are the subjects of research at all stages of their lives -- as newborns, in preschool, and throughout their school-age years -- too often:

• important research findings do not make their way into practice; and
• critical policy decisions are made with limited research evidence. 

Our goal is to change this pattern.  To create change and provide impact, we support the dissemination of research findings to both policymakers and practitioners.

The idea of foundation support of research through fellowships is not new or unusual. A number of foundations across the country fund fellowships as a strategy to develop and disseminate ideas that have the potential to result in better practice and drive social change.

Stoneleigh Center's specific contribution in this area is to support the work of talented professionals who are interested in using their research to promote positive change within public systems that serve disadvantaged and troubled children and youth -- child welfare, education, and juvenile justice -- through improved policy and practice. 

We are committed to putting good, solid research in front of the right people -- into the hands of people who create programs and policy and those who make decisions about what works best for our country's most vulnerable children and youth.  That includes local, state, and national policymakers and other influential decision makers.  Our intent is to encourage others in the field to ask questions in a new way because of the research produced by our fellows and others.