LEXINGTON, Ky. (August 12, 2026) — University of Kentucky College of Social Work (CoSW) Assistant Professor Carlyn Kimiecik, Ph.D., has received a 2026 Rapid Response Grant from the Sustainable Futures Design Lab (SFDL), a founding area of UK Innovate’s TRUST Hub, to examine how natural disasters affect youth sport and community life in rural Kentucky.
The award supports community-engaged research projects that respond to emerging needs across Kentucky and help accelerate solutions with the potential for long-term impact.
Rapid Response Grants are designed to help researchers quickly pursue time-sensitive opportunities that address pressing challenges facing Kentucky communities. By providing early-stage funding, the program enables interdisciplinary teams to build partnerships, gather preliminary data and develop innovative approaches that can lead to larger research initiatives.
Kimiecik’s project, “Youth Sport, Disaster Response, and Rural Communities: Developing a Community-Based Resilience Model in Central Appalachia Kentucky,” will support community-engaged research exploring how natural disasters affect youth sport and community life while developing a community-based resilience model to help communities prepare for future disasters.
“Natural disasters affect far more than physical infrastructure, they also disrupt the relationships, routines and community spaces that help young people thrive,” said Kimiecik. “Through this project and working with community partners, we hope to better understand how youth sport can support resilience and recovery while working alongside communities to develop practical strategies they can use before, during and after future disasters.”
A researcher with the Sport Social Work Research Lab (SSW-RL), Kimiecik joined the College in August 2025, bringing a background that bridges youth programming, social work and sport for development. Her research explores the lived experiences of youth and student-athletes through strength-based and community-engaged approaches.
Kimiecik focuses her work on the intersection of health, development and well-being across socio-ecological systems, particularly in sport and play-based settings. She is passionate about integrating social work into athletic contexts to promote holistic youth development and strengthen community partnerships that address social determinants of health.
The project reflects the growing recognition that youth sport can serve as an important community resource during times of crisis. By working directly with communities in Central Appalachia, Kimiecik and her team hope to identify strategies that strengthen local resilience while supporting the well-being of young people and their families and communities.
“This grant creates an opportunity to partner and work with communities,” Kimiecik said. “By listening to local experiences and building on existing community strengths, we hope this work will lead to sustainable approaches that help communities respond to future challenges.”
The project also reflects the College of Social Work’s commitment to community-engaged research that addresses Kentucky’s most pressing challenges while translating research into practical solutions that improve the lives of individuals, families and communities.