During the 2024 fiscal year, UConn\u2019s Institute for Collaboration on Health, Intervention, and Policy (InCHIP) awarded $114,000 in internal funds to support seven innovative pilot studies addressing various public and human health challenges consistent with UConn\u2019s mission.<\/p>\n
InCHIP seed grants are internal funding opportunities that support pilot work that often lead to external grant applications. For every $1 invested in seed grants, more than $30 is returned in external grant funding. Grants awarded during this round ranged from $10,000 to $20,000.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe received many outstanding seed grant submissions, and I want to congratulate InCHIP\u2019s seed grant recipients for their most meritorious applications. These innovative projects align with InCHIP\u2019s mission to foster interdisciplinary research that improves the health and well-being of people and communities in Connecticut, the U.S. and abroad,\u201d says Tricia Leahey, InCHIP Director and Professor of Allied Health Sciences.<\/p>\n
For the 2024 fiscal year, InCHIP partnered with the Gladstein Family Human Rights Institute<\/a> to launch a new seed grant aimed at addressing health equity, human rights, and\/or social justice. A total of $20,000 was awarded to one project that employed an intersectional approach to confront inequities associated with race\/ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, disability status, residence in underserved areas, or socioeconomic status.<\/p>\n In addition to this grant, InCHIP offered 4 different funding mechanisms to UConn faculty for FY24. Below is a look at this year\u2019s Seed Grant recipients:<\/p>\n Ryan Talbert<\/strong>, Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology Faculty Seed Grants fund pilot work that will directly support an external grant application relating to human health.<\/p>\n Swapna Gokhale<\/strong>, Associate Professor, School of Computing Ruth Lucas<\/strong>, Associate Professor, School of Nursing Daniele Piscitelli<\/strong>, Assistant Professor, Department of Kinesiology Roman Shrestha<\/strong>, Assistant Professor, Department of Allied Health Sciences The Community-Engaged Health Research Seed Grant funded three projects that establish or strengthen community-academic partnerships and produce data for future extramural grant applications.<\/p>\n Eileen Carter<\/strong>, Assistant Professor, School of Nursing Mia Maltz<\/strong>, Assistant Professor, Department of plant Science and Landscape Architecture Megan O\u2019Grady<\/strong>, Assistant Professor, Department of Public Health Sciences The Environmental Health Seed Grant funded one project examining how the environment, climate change, or environmental policy impacts human health.<\/p>\n Chuanrong (Cindy) Zhang<\/strong>, Professor, Department of Geography, Sustainability, Community, and Urban Studies The Health Disparities and Chronic Diseases Networking Event Seed Grant funded one project that emerged from InCHIP\u2019s Health Disparities and Chronic Disease Networking Event<\/a> held in the Fall 2023 semester and aimed to address, prevent, or mitigate the impact of health disparities in the U.S.<\/p>\n Zexin (Marsha) Ma<\/strong>, Assistant Professor, Department of Communication InCHIP research funds are awarded through a panel review process similar to the National Institutes of Health\u2019s approach. There is both a grant mentoring component and reviewer mentoring process for junior reviewers.<\/p>\n InCHIP has opened its next round of Seed Grant funding.<\/p>\nSeed Grants in Health Equity, Human Rights, and Social Justice Approaches to Health:<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\nRaja Staggers-Hakim<\/strong>, Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology
\nProject title: Mental Health Among Black Americans and the Local Commemoration of Anti-Black Violence, Black Figures, and the Black Freedom Struggle<\/em><\/p>\nFaculty Seed Grants: <\/strong><\/h3>\n
\nProject title: Understanding Associations Between Health Risk Behaviors and Social Deprivation Measures Using Machine Learning<\/em><\/p>\n
\nShayna Cunningham<\/strong>, Assistant Professor, Department of Public Health Sciences
\nProject title: WIC Partnership to Revise and Expand Pain Self-Management Intervention with Breastfeeding Women<\/em><\/p>\n
\nProject title: Neuromodulation for Upper Limb Recovery Post-Stroke: A Proposal for Personalized H-Reflex Conditioning<\/em><\/p>\n
\nProject title: Mobile-Based Ecological Momentary Assessment for Predicting Short-Term Suicidal Thoughts and Behavior Among Gay, Bisexual, and Other Men Who Have Sex with Men<\/em><\/p>\nCommunity-Engaged Health Research Seed Grants<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\nEvaluating the Acceptability of School-Based Health Centers to Increase Children\u2019s Access to Penicillin Allergy Evaluations<\/em><\/p>\n
\nCoupling Indoor and Outdoor Air Quality with Exposure, Health Effects, and Indoor\/Outdoor Environmental Microbiomes<\/em><\/p>\n
\nIdentifying Barriers and Facilitators to Implementation of Long-Acting Injectable Medications for Opioid Use Disorder in Community-Based Behavioral Health Clinics<\/em><\/p>\nEnvironmental Health Seed Grant<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\nTesting a Model of the Impact of Climate Change on Health Behaviors: A Cross-Sectional Proof-of-Concept Study<\/em><\/p>\nHealth Disparities and Chronic Diseases Networking Event Seed Grant<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\nYoo Min Park<\/strong>, Assistant Professor, Department of Geography, Sustainability, Community, and Urban Studies
\nPromoting Awareness of Air Pollution Among Latino\/Hispanic Communities Using Low-Cost Mobile Air Sensors and Culturally Tailored Health Messages<\/em><\/p>\n