A smiling doctor checks a young girl with a stethoscope at an outdoor health clinic

Four University-Community teams awarded CTSI support for community health research

CTSI’s Community Engagement to Advance Research and Community Health (CEARCH) office awarded four new Community Health Collaborative pilot grants this Spring. 

Community Health Collaborative pilot grants are open to University-Community teams working on human health-centered research. Applicants for 2021 grants were encouraged to apply with projects related to the intersection of COVID-19, structural racism and health disparities, and the intersection of COVID-19 and rural health or aging. 

Awarded research topics focused on issues of trust, mental health, and isolation in response to collective trauma and COVID-19, and included research with diverse populations, including both urban and rural, African American and other BIPOC communities. 

These projects were chosen based on high-impact research and their potential for health improvements, while building and sustaining long-term partnerships between University of Minnesota researchers and community representatives.

Congratulations to our 2021 grantees!

Community lead: Yolonde Adams-Lee, MA, LISW, Lighten Your Load Counseling
University lead: Sarah Hoffman, PhD, MPH, MSN, RN, Assistant Professor, School of Nursing

Project title: Addressing symptoms of community and intergenerational violence in North Minneapolis: Feasibility Pilot of the Intergenerational Healing Circle Intervention

Community lead: Clarence Jones, MEd, CPH, CPE, CHW, Community Health Strategist, Hue-MAN Partnership
University lead: Niloufar Hadidi, PhD, CNS-BC, APRN, FAHA,  Associate Professor, School of Nursing

Project title: Building trust and reducing the burden of stroke in African-American communities

Community lead: Shannon Pergament, MPH, MSW, SoLaHmo, Community-University Health Care Center (CUHCC)
University co-lead: G. Nic Rider, PhD, University Lead, Postdoctoral Fellow, Medical School
University co-lead: Jennifer Connor, PhD, LMFT, University Lead, Associate Professor, Clinic Director, Medical School

Project title: Cultural brokers as bridging the telehealth divide between racial/ethnic communities and health institutions: Improving mental health disparities and access during COVID-19

Community lead: Nicole Bauer, MA, Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota
University lead: Carrie Henning-Smith, PhD, MPH, MSW, Associate Professor, School of Public Health

Project title: Increasing social connectedness among rural older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic