NCA Research Cultivation Grants Grantees

The Research Cultivation Grant (RCG) supports NCA’s mission to “foster professional success in research.” The specific goal of the RCG is to facilitate first-time grant-seeking for those without prior grant experience and/or those desiring to build a foundation for future grant pursuits. 

 

  • Advancing Disclosure Theorizing through Disclosure Quality Model: Confidants’ Perspectives of Mental Illness Disclosure in Japan​
    • Emiko Taniguchi-Dorios, an Associate Professor in Communicology in the School of Communication and Information at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa will receive $10,000 for their proposal titled “Advancing Disclosure Theorizing through Disclosure Quality Model: Confidants’ Perspectives of Mental Illness Disclosure in Japan.” The study investigates confidants' perspectives on mental illness (MI) disclosure in Japan, addressing gaps in disclosure theories that are typically Western-centered and discloser-focused, and exploring how cultural context affects perceptions of MI disclosure quality in close relationships. 
  • Ghost Story: Queer Family Secrets, LGBTQ+ Death, and the Politics of Remembering​
    • Roberta Chevrette, an Associate Professor of Communication Studies at Middle Tennessee State University will receive $10,000 for their proposal titled “A Ghost Story: Queer Family Secrets, LGBTQ+ Death, and the Politics of Remembering.” This qualitative project examines family secrets related to sexuality and HIV/AIDS in the 1980s, using hauntology and queer theory to understand the intergenerational impact of stigma on family narratives, with aims to contribute to healing and social transformation through a proposed book and documentary. 
  • How Augmented Reality (AR) Filters Affect Women’s Appearance Satisfaction: Capturing Affective Responses through Computational Face Reading Methods
    • Megan Vendemia, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication Studies at West Virginia University, will receive $10,000 for their proposal titled “How Augmented Reality (AR) Filters Affect Women’s Appearance Satisfaction: Capturing Affective Responses through Computational Face Reading Methods.” Focusing on TikTok's Bold Glamour Filter, this study examines how AR appearance filters influence self-discrepancy and body image, particularly among women, and explores the ethical implications of corporate sponsorship and internalized beauty ideals, using computational methods to capture affective responses. 
  • Investigating The Effects of Media on Racial Literacy Among Black, Latino, and White Families
    • Judy Watts (The University of Kansas)
  • K-Beauty Project: Race, Gender, and Transnational Travel of Beauty
    • Dasol Kim (State University of New York at New Paltz)
  • Communication in Individualized Education Program Meetings for Special Education Students
    • Kristella Montiegel (University of Colorado Boulder)
  • You got your what?: Parent, Adolescents, and Menstruation Communication
    • Sarah LeBlanc (Purdue Univeristy Fort Wayne)
  • The effect of VR contact on American domestic students’ attitudes toward international students from Asian countries
    • Mina Choi (Sejong University), Mei-Chen Lin (Kent State University), Jihyun Kim (University of Central Florida), Matthew Craig (Kent State University)
  • Sexual Violence in Nigeria
    • Comfort Tosin Adebayo (Towson University)
  • #BlackMothersMatter: An Examination of Black Women Activist Communication Concerning Black Maternal Health
    • Rokeshia Renné Ashley (Florida International University)
  • Using Culture Centered Approach to Reduce Vaccine Hesitancy Among Marginalized Pakhtun Community in Pakistan
    • Sayyed Fawad Shah (Jacksonville State University)
  • How Do People Process Racial Hate Speech on Social Media? Examining Pandemic-Related Anti-Asian Rhetoric on Twitter
    • Stephanie Tom Tong (Wayne State University) and David C. DeAndrea (The Ohio State University)
  • Black Lives Matter: Prospectives from the Ground
    • Andre E. Johnson & Amanda Nell Edgar, University of Memphis
  • From #BlackLivesMatter to #BlackOutTuesday: Race and Mainstream Digital Engagement on Instagram
    • Tisha Dejmanee, University of Technology Sydney & Kirsten Weber and Zulfia Zaher, Central Michigan University
  • Investigating Communicated Narrative Sense-Making of Queer Miscarriage
    • Maria Butauski, Columbia College
  • Communication as Currency: Longitudinal Mixed Methods Study of a Non-Profit Financial Literacy Program for Low-Income Families 
    • Angela Gist-Mackey & Alesia Woszidlo, University of Kansas
  • Developing and Testing a Communication Skills Training Program to Improve Pediatricians’ Conversations about Medical Uncertainty
    • Anna M. Kerr, Ohio University & Charee M. Thompson, University of Illinois