CTSI has awarded nearly $200,000 to four 18-month collaborative partnerships between University of Minnesota investigators and community organizations.
The Community Health Collaborative Pilot Grant program supports community-university pilot research projects that address important health issues identified by Minnesota communities. The pilot program is designed to stimulate high-impact research while building and sustaining long-term partnerships between University of Minnesota researchers and community organizations, including nonprofits, healthcare providers, and community advocates.
The program is managed by CTSI’s Office of Community Engagement to Advance Research and Community Health (CEARCH), which provides infrastructure, project funding, and partner matching for University and community researchers to collaborate on community-relevant research and address important health issues.
Applications were reviewed by a group of scientific reviewers and a panel of community representatives.
Projects are set to begin Jan. 1, 2019 with three focusing on various aspects of adolescent and young adult health and the fourth to focus on lung cancer screening.
Congratulations to this year’s recipients!
Empowering Parents for Wellness in Shelter
Chris Mehus, PhD, Institute for Translational Research in Children's Mental Health
Christina Woodlee, MPA, The Bridge for Youth
Reviewers indicated the proposal made a strong case for the need for a health education intervention for homeless and parenting youth and that the needs of this population are not being addressed. They felt the partnership was strong and liked the mixed methods approach.
Evaluation of a Community Mentorship Program for Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
Lindsey Weiler, PhD, College of Education and Human Development
Emily Goldberg, Autism Society of Minnesota
Reviewers liked that this proposal was clearly driven by the community and had a strong community-university partnership. They also felt that the project was well-designed with a strong focus on evidence-based evaluation methods.
Understanding and Reducing Karen Youth Substance Use
Jennifer McCleary, PhD, College of Education and Human Service Professions, Duluth
Eh Tha Khu, Karen Organization of Minnesota
Reviewers felt that this proposal had strong community buy-in and partnerships, addressed a need in an overlooked population, and looked to gather data that hasn't previously been collected.
Understanding Barriers to Lung Cancer Screening for a Minnesota Tribal Clinic
Abbie Begnaud, MD, Medical School
Kendra Roland, MPH, American Indian Cancer Foundation
Reviewers commented that this proposal addresses a startling health disparity, demonstrated a strong collaboration between community and university, and had strong, clear methods.