Childrens Research Center
Children's Research Center
Our Research
The Children’s Research Center (CRC) was founded in January 1982 to facilitate research on how children develop and learn.
Within the CRC, there are eleven individual labs currently conducting research on infant and child development. Our research examines a broad range of topics, including the development of cognition and language, parent-child interaction, social stereotypes, and cultural influences on development. Research projects at the CRC are funded primarily through federal grants and private foundations.
In addition, the CRC provides training to approximately 150 undergraduate students per year. Their close work with both graduate students and faculty on specific research projects prepares them to pursue advanced degrees and professional careers working with children.
The CRC does not typically take on high school students as research assistants within individual research labs. Find additional information and resources to help high school students gain valuable research experience in this infographic.
The CRC loves supporting our incredible families in the Austin community and beyond. We created a project to develop at-home activities to spark joyful, family engagement. You can view or download our activities here.
Sign up here to participate in our research studies.
Get Involved
Since the CRC opened in 1982, over 15,000 infants, children, and parents from diverse backgrounds have volunteered to participate in our research. All of our studies are approved by the UT Institutional Review Board (IRB), which is mandated by the federal government to evaluate all research projects for safety and adherence to strict ethical standards. Children typically enjoy participating in our research and parents report the experience to be interesting and informative. Many agree to participate in more than one study and often recommend the CRC to their friends or neighbors.
We are currently looking for volunteer participants from birth- to 17-years of age. If you are interested in having your child participate in one of our studies or have any questions, you can call us at (512) 471-6261, email us at crc@utexas.edu or fill out our online form. We will contact you as soon as your child is eligible for one of our research studies to see if you are interested at that time. In the meantime, we appreciate your referrals!
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The Church Lab at UT Austin is inviting families with children finishing 4th and 7th grade to participate in a pre- and post-summer research study. We are looking to better understand how learning interruptions interact with the developing brain and impact skill (e.g., reading, math) performance.The first visit is a pre-summer behavioral visit, during which participants will play some computer games and take some paper tests, and answer questionnaires. If families are eligible and interested, they can come back again for a pre-summer MRI visit in which participants will play computer games and watch part of a movie while inside a MRI scanner. All families are asked to return for 1-2 post-summer lab visits to complete more tests, questionnaires, and a second MRI scan (if they helped with the pre-summer MRI). Participants will be compensated $40-50/visit and parents will receive $30/visit for driving and answering questionnaires about their child. Learn more at https://labs.la.utexas.edu/church-lang/volunteer/, then email us at churchlab@austin.utexas.edu, and/or apply here by filling out our screening survey: http://j.mp/childUT
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We're excited to be back doing what we love – incredible, impactful research, at the Woolley Lab! All our studies are being conducted using Zoom, and we have several different studies to choose from. Broadly, all of our studies are investigating children's reasoning about life events. More details about each study can be found on our website.
If your child is 4-11-years-old & you're interested in participating, please contact us at woolleylab@utexas.edu or make an appointment using our Calendly link.
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The Preston Lab is seeking research participants ages 6-35 for paid studies exploring how children, adolescents, and adults learn, remember, and make decisions. Come play games, watch movies, and teach us how your brain works, with the opportunity to earn up to $150! Interested? Learn more/apply here: http://redcap.link/prestonlabstudies
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The EvoLearn Lab is currently running the Reasoning Study for 6-13-year-olds about a problem-solving task to see how people work together to solve a problem. In the study, your child would be asked to participate in a game where they will watch videos and figure out an actor’s favorite food. The study takes about 10-15 minutes to complete, and they may complete the study alone or with a partner. Reach out to Jesse Peregrino at legarelab@gmail.com, if you're interested.
The EvoLearn Lab is also running The Play & Learning Across a Year (PLAY) Project. We are researchers launching the first large-scale study on what babies do at home! We are inviting one thousand families across the United States with babies (up to 2 years of age) to participate in this exciting study. Experienced researchers will visit your home and record a slice of your daily life. You will be helping scientists to better understand how children learn and develop.
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The Austin Thought Lab is currently looking for children ages 3-6 to participate in one of our online studies. This study looks at children and their parents’ understanding of time concepts. All you need to do for this study is have your child take an online survey in which they will play a fun sorting game with labels of different time concepts. They will be asked to sort the labels based on whether they think these concepts are real or not real. Beforehand, you will also sort the labels and try to predict your child’s answers. The study takes approximately 20 minutes and can be done anywhere and at any time. If you have one or multiple children between the ages of 3-6 years old, then please consider having them take this survey by clicking here: austinthought.org/rnr. Thank you and please write us at austinthoughtlab@gmail.com if you have any other questions about the study!
News
In 2018, the CRC became the first all-green certified center on UT Austin's campus. We were recognized by the Office of Sustainability and featured in the Daily Texan.
In 2017, our name changed from the Children's Research Lab to the Children's Research Center, recognizing us as an official research center. This was exciting news for us as the new name more accurately reflects our mission-driven work, which includes improving early childhood programs, increasing our ability to provide services for families in the community and strengthening our place on the national stage by being a leader in the field of children’s research.
“Our center designation will help to foster collaboration between our areas of research, help us to strategically align our vision for the future, and increase our ability to be more competitive in obtaining funding,” says Amy Booth, former Director of the CRC. “This will enable us to advance our knowledge of how to better serve children and their families and promote their highest level of fulfillment."
Library
The Hakes Library, named for Professor David Hakes, a developmental psycholinguist and chair of the developmental psychology program, is located on the first floor of the CRC. Supported entirely by private donations, the Hakes Library provides up-to-date journals and books in developmental psychology for students at the CRC. Graduate seminars are held in the library, and it is also the site of the developmental area’s seminar series in which speakers from UT and communities across the country present their current research.
Location
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Please Feel Free To Contact Us
Phone: (512) 471-6261
Email: crc@utexas.edu
Facebook: utchildrensresearchcenter
Address: 108 E. Dean Keeton Street
(Please park on Speedway, directly in front of the CRC entrance in the spots marked Reserved F87 Permit Parking)
Direcciónes para el CRC en Español
We are located in the Seay Psychology building at the corner of Dean Keeton and Speedway at the University of Texas. The entrance to the Children's Research Center is on the west side of Speedway, just north of Dean Keeton. Parking is directly in front of the Children's Research Center entrance. You will receive a parking permit upon your arrival at the center. The CRC is also accessible using public transportation.
Routes on Capital Metro Buses
Children 5 and younger, accompanied by an adult, ride free. Qualified riders can also apply for a reduced fare ID card to receive a half-price fare.
Bus Fares
| Single ride | $1.25 |
| Single ride, reduced | $.60 |
| Day pass | $2.50 |
| Day pass, reduced | $1.25 |
| 7-day pass | $11.25 |
| 31-day pass | $41.25 |
| 31-day pass, reduced | $20.60 |
Directions on S. Mopac (Loop 1) coming from the north
Take the 35th Street exit. Turn right on 35th Street and continue to Guadalupe Street. Turn right onto Guadalupe Street and continue to the stoplight at 27th Street and turn left. Continue to the stop sign at Speedway and turn right. Park on the west side of Speedway in the spots marked F87.
Directions on N. Mopac (Loop 1) coming from the south
Take the Windsor Road exit. Turn left onto Windsor Road. Windsor Road turns into 24th Street. Take 24th Street to Guadalupe Street and turn left. Continue to the stoplight at 27th street and turn right. Continue to the stop sign at Speedway and turn right. Park on the west side of Speedway in the spots marked F87.
Directions on I-35 S. coming from the north
Take Exit 235A University of Texas/MLK/15th Street. Turn right on MLK Blvd. Stay to the right. Immediately veer right onto Red River Street. Continue to the stoplight at Dean Keeton (formerly 26th Street) and turn left. Drive under the walkway overpass to the stoplight on Speedway and turn right. Park on the west side of Speedway in the spots marked F87.
Directions on I-35 N. coming from the south
Take Exit 235A University of Texas/MLK/15th Street. Take a left onto MLK Blvd. Immediately veer right onto Red River. Continue to the stoplight at Dean Keeton (formerly 26th Street) and turn left. Drive under the walkway overpass to the stoplight on Speedway and turn right. Park on the west side of Speedway in the spots marked F87.