Nicole Lawrence

Nicole Lawrence is a Senior Research Scientist at Duke University's Center for Child and Family Policy (CCFP). Her work bridges community-based research, program evaluation, and policy development to improve outcomes for children and families. Dr. Lawrence holds a Ph.D. from the University of Nebraska, Lincoln (2009), an M.P.P.A. from California State University, Sacramento (2001), and a B.A. from Sonoma State University (1994).

Her research focuses on program evaluation in child welfare, early education, mental health, and social services. Notable areas of expertise include child maltreatment prevention, social emotional well-being, and policy implementation. Since joining CCFP in 2006, she has led or co-led 18 studies using mixed-methods designs to evaluate interventions addressing at-risk children and families.

Current projects include evaluating the Durham Housing Authority’s Choice Neighborhood Grant and a randomized trial of Family-Centered Treatment to reduce out-of-home placements for children. Her publications emphasize scalable solutions for systemic challenges in human services.

Dr. Lawrence collaborates with city, county, and nonprofit agencies to integrate real-time data analysis into practice, improving service delivery and policy decisions. Her work prioritizes community partnerships to ensure research informs actionable outcomes.