The Helen Bader School of Social Welfare at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee has an extensive cross-disciplinary research program. The school serves students with interests in social work and criminal justice.
Research conducted by faculty often involves multidisciplinary collaboration through partnerships with researchers on campus and nationwide. The Department of Social Work includes 12 faculty and nine clinical faculty members. The Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology includes nine faculty. Doctoral students are vital contributors to research.
The school brings in the most research dollars among professional schools at UW-Milwaukee — extramural funding at the school was $15 million for the 2024-2025 academic year. All faculty have access to the Office of Research Administration. ORA assists faculty with applying for and managing sponsored funding. This administrative infrastructure supports faculty in their pursuit of interdisciplinary, scientifically rigorous social and behavioral research.
Active Funded Projects
| Investigators | Project Title | Funding Agency | Project Period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ai Bo (PI) Razia Azen (Co-I) | Mechanisms of Parenting on Adolescent Alcohol Use: A Meta-Analytic Structural Equation Modeling Study | National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism | July 16, 2026 to June 30, 2028 |
| Colleen Galambos (PI) Caitlyn Bowman (Co-I) Jennifer Kahn Pettigrew (Co-I) | Helen Bader Age and Community Internships | Bader Philanthropies | Aug. 6, 2025 to Aug. 6, 2027 |
| Colleen Galambos (PI) Matthew Friedel (Co-I) Colleen Janczewski (Co-I) | Practical Applications of AI and Technology in Health and Social Services | Northwestern Mutual Data Science Institute Pioneer Collaborative Curricula | Jan. 1, 2025 to Dec. 31, 2026 |
| Jane Hereth (PI) Mair Culbreth (Co-I) | EMBODY: A Community‑Engaged, Movement‑Based Intervention to Support LGBTQIA+ Young Adults | UWM Discovery and Innovation Grant (DIG) Program | July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027 |
| Melinda S. Kavanaugh (Academic Partner/Study Evaluator) The United Community Center (PI) | The Latino Dementia Health Regional Consortium | Wisconsin Partnership Program/University of Wisconsin-Madison | Jan. 1, 2022 to Dec. 31, 2026 |
| Joshua Mersky (PI) | Hope and Healing for Children Who Experience Family Violence | U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration | Oct. 1, 2022 to Sept. 30, 2027 |
| Joshua Mersky (PI) | MIECHV Coordinated State Evaluation of Family Engagement | U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration | Oct. 1, 2024 to Sept. 30, 2026 |
| Alyssa Sheeran (PI) and Tina Freiburger (Co-PI) | An Outcome Evaluation of the Kenosha County Treatment Court | Wisconsin Department of Justice | January 1, 2026 to December 31, 2026 |
| Alyssa Sheeran (PI) and Tina Freiburger (Co-PI) | A Recidivism Outcome Evaluation of the Waukesha County Treatment Court | Wisconsin Department of Justice | January 1, 2026 to December 31, 2026 |
| Andrew Steward (PI) A. Matijczak (Co-I) | A Longitudinal Study of the Aging Together Anti-Ageism Peer Support Program | Bader Philanthropies #31379 | Jan. 15, 2026 to Dec. 31, 2027 |