ATTENTION: Due to ongoing university budget considerations, all new "summer" projects initiated after May 8, 2026, and through August 14, 2026, will be billed to the client based on the published rates for additional hours during the academic year. Current clients with existing projects initiated prior to May 8, 2026, may continue to request services related to those pre-existing projects under regular academic year policies.
The purpose of the Nebraska Evaluation and Research (NEAR) Center is to promote sound statistical, measurement, and research methodology. The NEAR Center serves as a hands-on training program for graduate students in the Quantitative, Qualitative, & Psychometric Methods (QQPM) program.
The NEAR Center provides services to:
University system-affiliated faculty and graduate students
Research groups and individuals
Business, industry, and government organizations when considered appropriate for education and/or training of students.
Project collaboration is completed by graduate students under the supervision of the Director of the Center, Dr. James A. Bovaird, alongside supervising faculty and staff members affiliated with the QQPM program.
Services & Research Expertise
The NEAR Center provides guidance for quantitative projects regarding:
- Setting up data files
- Instrument development
- Sampling procedures
- Sample size
- Choice of analysis procedures
The NEAR Center also provides guidance for qualitative and mixed methods projects regarding:
- Selection of the qualitative or mixed methods design that best fits your research questions
- Development of sampling plans and data collection protocols
- Preparation of data files for analysis by hand or with software
- Development of data analysis and integration procedures
The NEAR Center performs the following functions for quantitative datasets:
- Statistical analysis
- Generate relevant output
- Interpretation of the analysis
Services NOT provided:
- Statistics, measurement, or qualitative research instruction
- Proofreading manuscripts
- Data entry or transcriptions of qualitative data (we can recommend people who do this type of work)
- Research question formulation
- Assistance with coursework is NOT provided.
Staff and Contact Information
Staff and Contact Info
The NEAR Center is located in 209 Teachers College Hall
Postdoctoral Associates:
Postdoctoral associates are available by appointment only with permission from the NEAR Center Director. Before contacting a postdoctoral associate for an appointment, please request services by sending an email to NEAR@unl.edu. Requests should justify the need of a Postdoctoral Associate instead of a Research Collaborator. Requests that fail to do so will be denied.
Jay Jeffries
Amelia Miramonti
Research Collaborators:
For availability, see "Book Appointment" button below.
Jack Riley
Whitney Thomas
Md Niaz Morshed
Fees
SUMMER 2026
Due to ongoing university budget considerations, all new "summer" projects initiated after May 8, 2026, and through August 14, 2026, will be billed to the client based on the published rates for additional hours during the academic year. Current clients with existing projects initiated prior to May 8, 2026, may continue to request services related to those pre-existing projects under regular academic year policies.
- Students and Faculty within the University of Nebraska system: $25 per hour
- Includes 1st intake meeting, additional meeting time, and all non-meeting work time performed by NEAR Center staff
- Clients not affiliated with the University of Nebraska system: $50 per hour
- Includes 1st intake meeting, additional meeting time, and all non-meeting work time performed by NEAR Center staff
Regular Academic Year (Fall and Spring semesters) policies will be in effect starting August 15, 2026.
Fall and Spring Semester
- College of Education and Human Sciences students and faculty - NO CHARGE
- Students and Faculty within the University of Nebraska system: 1st intake meeting free, $25 for each additional hour
- Clients not affiliated with the University of Nebraska system: 1st intake meeting free, $50 for each additional hour
Appointments
How do I make an appointment?
The NEAR Center will not be open for consultations during the following times:
- The first or last week of semester (i.e. syllabus and finals weeks)
- University closures and student holidays
Clients are limited to 1 consultant hour per week.
- This includes uploading data, running and debugging software syntax, collaborative meetings, etc.
- Clients may be provided more than 1 hour per week at the collaborator's discretion
No limits are placed on the number of research projects per client
What should you do prior to your appointment?
- Email the desired collaborator ahead of time to establish communication
- Complete the intake form before your first meeting. The link to the intake form is found in the Bookings site (under the Book Appointment button) or can be found here