Graduate Student Opportunities

Child Maltreatment Solutions Network

The Child Maltreatment Solutions Network (CMSN) focuses on the causes, prevention, detection, consequences, and treatment of child abuse and neglect. The CMSN is dedicated to improving the well-being of children, youth, and families, while expanding Penn State’s internationally recognized expertise in research, practice, and education.

We provide opportunities and support for collaborative and translational science in order to address the complex problems of child maltreatment. Our work covers the spectrum, ranging from research on child development and clinical treatments that foster child health, to public policy that promotes child safety and wellbeing.

The first ever National Institutes of Health P50 award to establish a Capstone Center for Child Maltreatment Research and Training (PI: Connell/Jackson) provides funding and opportunities for collaborative and translational science, ranging from research on child development to clinical treatments to public policy.

Graduate students can work with CMSN faculty advisors by applying to graduate programs in participating departments, including Human Development and Family Studies, Psychology, Biobehavioral Health, Nursing, Education, and Sociology and Criminology. 

What makes Penn State different?

Penn State, where the main campus at University Park is home to nearly 45,000 students, some 7,000 of which are graduate students, is one of the leading research universities in the United States. According to the National Science Foundation, it consistently ranks among the top 15 major U.S. universities in research expenditures in science and engineering fields. Its graduate programs attract students from diverse cultural and educational backgrounds and from more than 100 countries all over the world.