Center for the Elimination of Minority Health Disparities

Research projects that involve community partnerships can be difficult to get off the ground due to a lack of funding for the initial phase of the research. CEMHD has developed a University-funded grant program that helps resolve this problem by providing funds for pilot studies that employ community-based participatory  research (CBPR) methodologies. Each year, it awards several grants of $5,000-$6,000 for projects that show promise to develop into fully-funded, large-scale investigations supported by federal agencies.

We expect to initiate another round of awards in the fall of 2013.

Who can apply?

We invite University at Albany faculty and staff, and community partners who are interested in conducting research whose goals are consistent with the aims of the Center to apply for support.  The Center’s aims are the following:
· Identify community health concerns and sources of disparities;
· plan strategies to alleviate them, and
· test their effectiveness.

Center associates who were previously funded by this grant remain eligible to apply for these funds.  Research projects can be the further development of a pilot project previously funded by the Center or a new idea as long as it is consistent with the mission of the CEMHD. We encourage Center associates who were community partners on previously-funded projects and who have ideas for continuation projects to contact faculty to collaborate on an application. 

Community partners can address questions about appropriate faculty members to Lawrence Schell, Robert Miller Jr., Wilma Alvarado-Little or David Strogatz. Contact information is available at our website: www.albany.edu/cemhd.

When complete, the research should be the basis for an application to a federal funding source, such as, but not limited to, the National Institutes of Health, for a larger-scale study (R-01 or R-03).

Funds Available

The award is for $6,000.  Funds should be expended by June 11, 2013.  Extensions may be possible but are not guaranteed.

Award Criteria

1. The stated goals of the research are clear.
2. The stated goals are consistent with the goals of the CEMHD. (This element also suggests the proposed research is potentially significant to     the elimination of minority health disparities.)
3. The narrative and supporting literature are consistent with the goals of the study.
4. The research questions are clearly stated and consistent with the goals of the research.
5. The methods section is consistent with both the stated goals and the research question.
6. The research plan (method) is feasible given the budget.
7. The successful completion of this research has a high likelihood for resulting in a publishable journal article.
8. The successful completion of this research effort will position the researcher to use this as pilot data for future external funding.
9. The principal investigator and the team are qualified to conduct the research.
10. The research will positively expand and or deepen the research portfolio of the CEMHD.
11. The researcher has included a letter of support from the community collaborator.
12. The researcher describes collaboration with stakeholders in the research.

The next research development award competition is scheduled for the fall semester of 2013.  

2012 Competition

Proposal Due February 20, 2012

A workshop will be held on Feb. 7th in AS 104 from 9 -11 am to show investigators how to incorporate partnership research and CBPR strategies into their proposed research agendas.  Applicants not already affiliated with the Center are strongly encouraged to attend. Deadline

Applications must be received electronically by close of business on Feb. 20, 2012.

Award Date

Award recipients will be notified by email by April 15, 2012.

Application

Your application will consist of responses to the questions below.

1. Describe the goals of the study (50 words max).  Be specific and concrete, and refer to short-term goals. 
If this application is for a continuation of a project the Center has previously funded, please do the following:
a.      Restate the original goals (50 words max), and
b.      describe the progress made toward achieving them (150 words max).

2.  Describe in concrete terms the activities that will be conducted and how you expect them to accomplish the study’s goal(s). (200 words max).

3.  Describe how the project will contribute to the elimination of minority health disparities (75 words max).

4.  Describe the relationship of the project to community needs as identified by your community partner (100 words max).  

5.  Obtain a letter of support from your community partner on letterhead and include it with your application.

6.  Submit a budget, and justify the budget in light of the project’s goals and activities. A nominal payment to the principal investigator is allowed.

Submission Instructions

Applications should be submitted to Lynda Peckowitz (lpeckowitz@albany.edu) by email as an attached WORD document with the letter of support scanned and attached, or by postal mail to Lynda Peckowitz, AS 237, University at Albany, Albany NY 12222.  Please copy email applications to: Robert Miller rmiller@albany.edu, Lawrence Schell lschell@albany.edu, and Janine Jurkowski jjurkowski@albany.edu. You will receive a confirmation email from Lynda Peckowitz within 24 hours of your submission, which completes the application process. Questions Please direct questions to Drs. Schell (442-4714), Miller (442-5374) or Jurkowski (402-0420).