November 21, 2019 | By Admin
With a focus on protecting the health of the region’s most vulnerable residents, particularly children and older adults, several philanthropic health foundations are teaming up to make more than $500,000 in funds available to support research-based projects that will be applicable to helping address and mitigate health risks in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
The Portage Health Foundation, together with the Michigan Health Endowment Fund, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Foundation, the Superior Health Foundation, and the West Marquette County Health Foundation are teaming up to make this a reality.
This initiative strives to encourage partnerships between the region’s academic research institutions and local nonprofit organizations. The initiative will support researchers from the Upper Peninsula’s four research universities – Lake Superior State University, Michigan Technological University, Northern Michigan University and Michigan State University College of Human Medicine Upper Peninsula Region – to work with local nonprofits, health departments or public schools to conduct research and assess interventions addressing the prevention or treatment of chronic diseases.
Their research will address problems cited in the most recent health risk needs assessment by the Western U.P. Health Department. The aim of this program is to encourage academic-community partnerships. It does not support basic science or biomedical research, including drug studies or studies using animals.
This initiative offers an opportunity to design and pilot solutions within a local community context. This is done with the belief that working with a local community to develop sustainable partnerships will bring together the skills and resources needed to strengthen work in the health space. In addition to improving health in the Upper Peninsula, it is hoped this initiative will lead to the development of manuscripts that can be replicated and contribute new knowledge to prevent and treat chronic diseases in other rural areas in lower Michigan and across the United States.
To learn more about this collaborative grant opportunity please submit an email request to foundation@bcbsm.com with "U.P. Research" in the subject line.