Recipients of a 2020 Pilot Grant in Health Disparities Research, Dylan Jennings (Bizhikiins) and Dana Carroll, PhD, MPH, presented their research at the October Health Equity Seminar Series co-sponsored by PHDR and C2DREAM. Along with co-investigator Dorothy Hatsukami, PhD, their overall research goal was to create a program that utilizes traditional tobacco to reframe what tobacco is (sacred) and is not (addictive). Carroll and Jennings will continue their research partnership with a grant from the National Cancer Institute. They will tailor QuitGuide, an existing smartphone-delivery cessation resource, and pilot test whether it is a feasible and acceptable smoking cessation resource for American Indian persons who smoke. Check back with us on our website in December for information on applying to the next cycle of Pilot Grants. Please visit the Health Equity Seminar Series page to view recordings of past presentations or to register to attend the next presentation. 

Recipients of a 2020 Pilot Grant in Health Disparities Research, Rodolfo Gutierrez, PhD and Gabriela Bustamante, PhD, presented their Un Poco de Luz: Learning from Cervical Cancer Screening among Uninsured Hispanics in Minnesota research findings to the community on September 23, 2022. Gutierrez and Bustamante identified factors that have contributed to the high level of usage of free cervical cancer screening (CCS) services provided by the Minnesota Department of Health’s (MDH) Sage program among low-income uninsured and underinsured Hispanic women in Minnesota using focus groups and in-depth interviews. In addition to sharing research findings, they debuted a video co-created by and starring participants from the study and produced by MLatino Media promoting cervical cancer screening and the use of the Sage program. To stay informed about what HACER is doing, please visit their website. For information on applying to the next cycle of Pilot Grants, check back here in December. 

Projects must be conducted within a partnership between community-based organizations and academic researchers. Priority will be given to projects that:

1. The Masonic Cancer Center (MCC) Community Research Grant supports (up to 2) proposals for cancer-related health disparities in Minnesota.

1. • Because our goal is to reduce the burden of cancer in Minnesota, proposals must identify and address a disparity in cancer incidence, treatment, or outcomes among groups of Minnesotans. Groups can be defined by race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, or geography (e.g. rural). All proposals addressing cancer risk factors need to be directly tied to cancer.
   • Special consideration will be given to projects that address one of the Cancer Center’s catchment priorities, including disparities in incidence and mortality of colon, liver, and prostate cancers, geographic and racial/ethnic disparities in colon cancer screening, and disparities in infection-related cancers.

• • • • Examples of appropriate topics include, but are not limited to: lifestyle factors such as tobacco use, diet, and physical activity; environmental exposures to different types of chemicals and radiation; certain types of infections known to cause cancer (e.g., Hepatitis B and liver cancer, HPV and cervical cancer).
      • Topics related to socioeconomic barriers to cancer care, screening, education, or clinical trials will be considered.

2. The Community Health Initiative (CHI) Research Grant supports up to two proposals work that reduces or eliminates Health Disparities in North Minneapolis.  Proposed research projects must address a public health issue that has been identified by a community or community-based nonprofit organization.

3. You may submit a dissemination research project related to one or both of the topics listed above.  Dissemination research projects must have a rigorous evaluation component. Grant awardees previously funded by PHDR are encouraged to apply.

• • Dissemination research is a broader sharing of new knowledge generated from a research project.
    • • “Broader sharing” refers to the dissemination of research findings to a target audience(s). For example, a plan that focuses on individuals, groups, organizations, and/or decision-makers to learn about research findings. New and creative ways of sharing information are highly encouraged.
      • “New knowledge” refers to all information or resources generated from research. For example, new products or materials from an intervention, findings from a survey, and focus group and interview results.
      • “A Research Project” includes all types of study designs.
      • “Generated from a research project” refers to research findings from a prior or existing community-academic partnership.

• All community-based, 501(c)(3) organizations with an interest in health disparities are eligible to apply.
• Community-based organizations with or without an established working relationship with an academic researcher are welcome to submit a letter of intent.
• Letters of Intent from organizations without an established working relationship with an academic researcher will be matched with a researcher with similar interests at the University of Minnesota by Program staff. Continued consideration will be based on suitable matches; if no appropriate match is made, the applicant will be duly informed.
• After matches are made, each project will consist of a minimum of two co-principal investigators—at least one member from a community-based organization and one academic researcher. If the matched research teams agree to work together, they will be invited to submit a full research proposal.
• Prior awardees are eligible to apply with new or expansions of previous projects.

The purpose of the informational session is to provide background and information to the interested community and academic partners on the Health Disparities Pilot Grants.

You can access the slides here. You can hear the audio by opening the slides in PowerPoint and 1) clicking on the audio button in the lower right corner of each slide, or 2) use the presentation mode and the audio will automatically turn on. Note: some slides do not have audio.

There will be an Informational Session office hour (details below). Please email hdpilotgrants@umn.edu if you have any questions after watching and listening to the webinar. 

Informational Session 
Friday, January 13, 2023
11:00am - 12:00 pm
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 996 9876 4185
Passcode: 1PZxQH

A letter of intent is required. You may submit the LOI via a Google Form or email a completed LOI document to hdpilotgrants@umn.edu by 6:00 p.m. on Friday, January 27, 2023.

The LOI form can be found at https://z.umn.edu/2023HDPGLOIForm.

The LOI document for downloading can be found at https://z.umn.edu/2023HDPGLOIDoc.

The pre-application technical workshop will provide community and academic partners who have been invited to submit a full application with technical assistance to guide them through the grant application process.

The pre-application technical workshop webinar will be sent out with the invitation to apply, and here. A virtual pre-application technical workshop office hour for further questions after watching the webinar is scheduled for February 24, 2023.

Please check back in for more information in February 2023. 

1. Submit a Letter of Intent
A letter of intent is required. You may submit the LOI via a Google Form or email a completed LOI document to hdpilotgrants@umn.edu by 6:00 p.m. on Friday, January 27, 2023.

The LOI form can be found at https://z.umn.edu/2023HDPGLOIForm.

The LOI document for downloading can be found at https://z.umn.edu/2023HDPGLOIDoc.

2. Invitation to Submit a Full Application
Matching will begin after LOIs have been submitted for community-based organizations without academic partners. Invitations to submit a full application will be sent out by February 10, 2023. Application details will be provided with the invitation. Deadline for full applications is Friday, April 7, 2022 by 6:00 pm. No late applications will be accepted.

All applications will be reviewed by a committee consisting of individuals from the local community and the University of Minnesota faculty and staff. Applicants will be notified of the review outcome by July 15, 2023. Awards will be made for one-year. Awardees will be required to attend the Kickoff Orientation and Partnership Workshop. Information on that will be provided June 2023. Additionally, all awardees will need to commit to PHDR’s partnership support and problem-solving process.

Full Applications will be evaluated based on the following six criteria:

1. Specific aims – Each proposal should have clearly stated Specific Aims with measurable objectives. This section should include a clear statement of the primary research question(s) being addressed by the proposed study.
2. Background and significance – This section should address the following questions:
   • What is the significance of the health disparity topic or health issue being addressed?
   • What is currently known about the health disparity topic?
   • What gaps in knowledge will the proposed study address?
   • How will the proposed study reduce health disparities and improve the health of the target population? This section also should describe the applicants’ relevant experience with the proposed topic.
3. Community – In this section, please address the following:
   • Who is/are the group(s) that will benefit from this research project?
   • How are they involved in the proposed research?
   • What community-academic decision- making process is in place for the study?
   • How are communities represented in decision-making at each level of the project?
4. Methodology – The proposal should include a clear description of the study design and assessment, evaluation tools, or other methods appropriate to the Specific Aims and research questions. Dissemination research projects must have rigorous evaluation methods that are clearly described. For example, evaluations might include: Who did the resources/information reach? Did the audience find the resources/information useful? How did the audience use the resources/information? How do they intend to use the resources/information in the future?
5. Dissemination – The proposal should describe how and to whom the findings will be disseminated. Dissemination costs also should be included in the budget, with appropriate justifications.
6. Long-Term Plan – The proposal should describe:
   • Implications of this project for advancing this type of research
   • Plans for future research and funding after the project is completed

PHDR/SoLaHmo Partnership Protocol (“Gold Standard”) Checklist

UMN Performance of Community-based Research: Guidance Statement

Budget Template

Do you have questions about the pilot grant program? Check out the Frequently Asked Questions.

Email Maiyia at hdpilotgrants@umn.edu if you have additional questions.

December 22:     Request for Applications for 2023 Health Disparities Pilot Grants released
January 13:         Informational Session Q&A Office Hour
January 27:         Deadline for the required Letter of Intent from community-based organizations 
February 10:       Community-academic teams invited to submit application 
February 24:        Pre-application Technical Workshop Q&A Office Hour
April 7:                 Full application proposals due from research teams 
June 15:              2023 Grant awardees announced
July:                    Kickoff Orientation and Partnership Workshop
Aug 1 – Jul 31:    Award Period

*Dates may change without prior notice.