The Seed Grant Program supports and promotes research that is conducted using a community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach. CBPR is an approach to research respects community input and builds upon the strengths of equitably involving community partners in all aspects of the research process. By combining the knowledge and interests of communities with the expertise and resources of academics, the CBPR approach aims to increase the value of research for both and produce new perspectives, insights, and approaches to improving the health of the community. ARCC Seed Grant Awards
ARCC Faculty Development Mini-Grants Partnership Building Grants Sowing the seeds for a CBPR Partnership: Development of a working relationship between Healthy Southeast Chicago and Northwestern University.
Dinah Ramirez, Healthy Southeast Chicago, and Maryann Mason, Assistant Research Professor of Pediatrics, Feinberg School of Medicine/Children’s Memorial Hospital. Westside Health Authority and Physical Therapy: Increasing Understanding to Promote Health.
Janine, Lewis, Westside Health Authority, and Gail Huber, Assistant Professor of Physical Therapy & Human Movement Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine. Building the Community of North Chicago.
Dick Morehead, Dream Associates, Inc., and Deborah Puntenney, Assistant Research Professor, Asset-Based Community Development Institute, School of Education and Social Policy. Implementation Grant How Chicago Youth Programs, Inc. Shapes Adulthood Choices and Success.
Elizabeth Higgins, Chicago Youth Programs, and Jenifer Cartland, Assistant Research Professor of Pediatrics, Feinberg School of Medicine/Children’s Memorial Hospital. Colorectal Cancer Screening in Japanese American Elders in Chicagoland.
Frances Chikahisa, Japanese American Service Committee, and Denys Lau, Assistant Professor, Buehler Center on Aging, Health & Society, Feinberg School of Medicine. The program has awarded $80K in seed grant funds for projects focusing on community-academic partnership building and CBPR implementation. Each project includes a community co-investigator from a local community-based organization and an academic co-investigator from Northwestern University and will receive $20,000 for a project lasting 12-18 months. Grant Recipients and Project Titles: Juana Ballesteros, Humboldt Park Community of Wellness, and Ruchi Gupta, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Feinberg School of Medicine A Community-Academic Partnership for Asthma Control in Humboldt Park Hong Liu, Asian Health Coalition of Illinois, and Melissa Simon, Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Feinberg School of Medicine Partnering Research to Preempt Disease Among Asian Community Members in Chicago Jessica Claudio, Wildcats Student Health Center/Roberto Clemente Community Academy, and Virginia Bishop, Assistant Professor of Preventive Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine NuFit: Nutrition and Fitness Peer Education Steve Brunton, Chinese Mutual Aid Association, and Margaret Gadon, Assistant Professor of Medicine and Madelyn Iris, Associate Professor of Psychiatry/Preventive Medicine/Anthropology, Feinberg School of Medicine Uptown Immigrant and Refugee Senior Center
The ARCC Faculty Mini-Grant program aims to: 1) build the capacity of Northwestern University faculty to engage in authentic collaborative research partnerships; 2) provide incentives that foster and stimulate the conduct of community-engaged scholarship and community-based participatory research (CBPR) by Northwestern University faculty. In Summer 2009, three mini-grants were awarded. The awardees and brief descriptions of the projects follow: Ruchi Gupta, MD MPH, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine/Children’s Memorial Hospital In order to evaluate the health needs of the South Asian community in Chicago, Dr. Gupta intends to work with the Indo American Center (IAC) to conduct a needs assessment and health seminar. This will allow them to provide a valuable service to the community while collecting pilot data to further our work together. William E. Healey, PT, EdD, GCS, Assistant Professor of Physical Therapy and Human Movement Sciences Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine The Westside Health Authority (WHA) and Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine Department of Physical Therapy and Human Movement Sciences (PTHMS) are building a partnership to determine the needs of community-dwelling older adults regarding physical activity and exercise and identify a role for physical therapists to help meet these needs. This mini-grant will support two faculty-supervised PT student research assistants and enhance the relationship-building and project planning between PTHMS and WHA partners. Melissa A. Simon, MD MPH, Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine This mini-grant will assist Dr. Simon to continue on her career path of academic-based scholarly work in community-based participatory research. The grant provides her with resources to attend the Community-Campus Partnerships for Health Annual Conference, the American Public Health Association Annual Meeting, and travel to an in-person meeting with a lead scholar in the field of CBPR in order to establish a long term mentorship relationship. The next Faculty Development Mini-Grant Request for Proposals will be released in Spring 2010. | 
