Federal Project Grant Award Summary

Smith College received a $527,648 Project Grant from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) under the Child Health and Human Development Extramural Research program (CFDA 93.865) to conduct research on the neurodevelopmental correlates of executive function in children. The award, issued on March 18, 2026, with a completion date of February 28, 2029, supports a comprehensive research initiative examining how parental engagement styles during caregiver-child interactions influence children's cognitive development. The research will utilize functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) hyperscanning technology—a non-invasive neuroimaging technique—to simultaneously measure brain activity in both parents and children during naturalistic problem-solving tasks, with particular focus on neural synchrony in the lateral prefrontal cortex and temporoparietal junction.

The primary research deliverables include empirical data and analysis examining the relationship between parental caregiving behaviors (ranging from under-engaged to intrusive parenting styles) and the neural mechanisms underlying executive function development. The study aims to identify optimal parental engagement patterns that facilitate learning and cognitive development while avoiding disruption to the child's intrinsic attention and learning processes. Research activities will be conducted at Smith College's facility in Northampton, Massachusetts, and the findings are intended to advance understanding of how caregiving interactions shape the neurobiological foundation of executive functions in developing children.