Grants

Seattle Goodwill Industries

Expand training services and use existing computer labs to provide 190 low-income members of central and southeast Seattle. Provide basic computer training, ESOL training, and introduction to community resources via the Internet.

Central Area Senior Center

Upgrade the existing computer lab with state-of-the-art equipment and offer basic technology skills instruction to older adults and residents in the Central district.

Greenwood Senior Center

The existing center will be enhanced with keyboards, trackballs and adjustable work stations to better provide computer training and mentoring to low vision, limited mobility or wheelchair users. Programs include Wired for Learning and Seniors Teaching

RecTech Coalition - Associated Recreation Council

Enhance quality of services, delivery literacy and access programs, increase sustainability of the Community Center community technology programs. Activities include direct program services, business planning, fundraising and partnership devlopment.

Community Venture Foundation

Community Venture Foundation is an active grantmaking foundation based in Fayetteville, AR. Focus: education. Contact the foundation directly for current funding opportunities.

NHLBI - National Heart Lung and Blood Institute

PROJECT SUMMARY Hypertension (HTN) is a leading modifiable risk factor for global cardiovascular disease and stroke morbidity and mortality. Nigeria, Africa's most populous country, has a high HTN burden. Evidence-based interventions (EBIs) for detection and initiation of treatment for HTN are not widely implemented in Nigeria. These EBIs include widely available (1) BP screening (reaching all adults >18 years of age) to identify HTN early and (2) connections to ongoing primary care for HTN management. In partnership with community and clinical stakeholders, we are currently adapting community-based strategies shown to be effective in increasing HIV screening and connections to care. The proposed adapted strategies – called community vital signs (CVS) strategies – will utilize community-based screenings, digital technologies, and supportive approaches to connect people to healthcare facilities, leveraging our practice-based research network of community clinics within the Model Innovation Research Centers created by the Nigeria Implementation Science Alliance. We will use the RE-AIM (Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, Maintenance) and EPIS (Exploratory, Preparation, Implementation, Sustainment) implementation science frameworks to guide our work. Aim 1 / R61 Phase (Year 1): Engage stakeholders to refine and finalize the co-creation of CVS strategies aiming to increase rates of BP screening and connections to care in Nigeria. By the end of the R61 Phase, we will have final CVS strategies and will recruit, train, and conduct implementation readiness assessments at 12 community-based sites connected with 12 healthcare facilities in 12 Nigerian cities (2 in each of Nigeria's 6 regions). R33 Phase (Years 2-5) Aim 2: Implement and assess CVS strategies aiming to increase rates of BP screening at all 12 study sites (n=24,000 participants). We will initiate quarterly, community-based BP screenings and evaluate using RE-AIM. Aim 3: Implement and compare 2 different CVS strategies to make connections to primary care for those found to have high BP readings that meet HTN criteria at all study sites. We will conduct a nested, hybrid implementation-effectiveness type III trial using a parallel 2-arm cluster randomized design. Arm A (6 sites, n~3,000 participants): support connection to primary care by utilizing mHealth digital technologies with bidirectional sharing of BP data between community screening site and primary care clinic, coupled with a voucher for a medication starter kit (core strategies); Arm B (6 sites, n~3,000 participants): Core strategies plus community health navigators making handoffs to clinic and sending text messages (core+ strategies). This project promotes equitable access to HTN diagnosis and connections to care, especially in cities where HTN prevalence is highest. It has the potential to significantly increase rates of early HTN detection and prevent the morbidity and mortality associated with the downstream effect of undiagnosed and uncontrolled HTN. It will provide evidence for scale-up of interventions to support self- management of non-communicable chronic diseases in Nigeria and other low- and middle-income countries.

Outreach Committee for Lake City

The Outreach Committee for Lake City will host a community resource fair on Wednesday, January 27, 2016, 6:00-8:00pm, at the Lake City Community Center (12531 28th Ave. NE). The grant will pay for entertainment, youth stipends for outreach and help, and stipends for local ethnic restaurants to provide food and describe their goals, hopes and dreams for their business and for the Lake City community. This project will also connect people with over 15 groups looking for volunteers.

Community West Foundation

Community West Foundation is an active grantmaking foundation based in Westlake, OH. Focus: health. Contact the foundation directly for current funding opportunities.

NHLBI - National Heart Lung and Blood Institute

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT Our main goal is to examine the implementation, effectiveness, and cost-effectiveness of two implementation strategies for integrating a community health worker (CHW)-facilitated hypertension telehealth intervention into routine primary health centers operated by Kenya’s Ministry of Health (MoH). Hypertension, a major contributor to global morbidity and mortality and a key driver of cardiovascular diseases, remains inadequately treated in Kenya due to multi-level barriers at the health system, clinic, clinician, and patient levels. We previously showed that CHW-led telehealth interventions, combining CHW home visits and clinician assessment over the phone, can significantly improve control of hypertension by mitigating patient-level barriers like transportation costs to clinics. Despite the evidence supporting CHW telehealth, gaps in knowledge about effective implementation strategies at multiple system levels limit its broader application. This study will assess two approaches aimed at enhancing uptake, effectiveness, sustainability, and cost-effectiveness of CHW hypertension telehealth in MoH primary health centers. Guided by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research, we have identified two preliminary sets of implementation strategies: a) core (training, protocol development, MoH leadership engagement for clinic supervision, and medication supply chain improvements) and b) enhanced (core + plus implementation champions among clinicians and CHWs, and practice facilitation). The rationale for these approaches is based on the premise that while core strategies may suffice to address knowledge deficits and ensure effective implementation initially, additional external facilitation and empowering local champions might be necessary to reinforce training, increase motivation, iteratively adapt workflows, troubleshoot challenges, identify ongoing opportunities for improvement, and sustain implementation over time. In Aim 1, we will use Implementation Mapping with stakeholders from community to health system levels to adapt and refine these strategies for broader testing. We will attend to adaptation differences between HIV clinic (existing chronic care infrastructure and electronic medical record (EMR)) and general primary care clinic (current care is generally episodic, no EMR) settings. In Aim 2, we will conduct a type 2 hybrid implementation-effectiveness cluster randomized trial across 16 MoH primary health centers and surrounding communities to compare the impact of core and enhanced strategies on the implementation penetration of CHW telehealth and population-level hypertension control at 18 months. We will also evaluate sustainment during a 12-month maintenance phase following cessation of external support for implementation strategies. We will stratify all analyses by HIV status and sex to understand the role of these factors in implementation and effectiveness. Lastly, Aim 3 will measure cost and determine the cost-effectiveness of these strategies using an established individual-based hypertension model. This study will generate robust evidence for the most effective and cost-effective strategies for implementing CHW-based hypertension treatment, improving BP control and reducing CVD at a population level.

West Harlem Environmental Action, Inc. (WE ACT for Environmental Justice)

A community-driven planning project that will address the climate change related environmental and public health threat of extreme heat.

West Harlem Environmental Action, Inc. (WE ACT for Environmental Justice)

A community-driven planning project that will address the climate change related environmental and public health threat of extreme heat.

YOUTH MINISTRIES FOR PEACE AND JUSTICE, INC.

YMPJ will study the impacts of pollutants emitted from the Smyrna Ready Mix Concrete Plant located adjacent to Bronx River Houses, and partner with community leaders and the Bronx River Houses tenants to conduct outreach/engagement towards advocacy.

YOUTH MINISTRIES FOR PEACE AND JUSTICE, INC.

YMPJ will study the impacts of pollutants emitted from the Smyrna Ready Mix Concrete Plant located adjacent to Bronx River Houses, and partner with community leaders and the Bronx River Houses tenants to conduct outreach/engagement towards advocacy.

National Institutes of Health

Community-Partnered Nursing Research Centers (P20 Clinical Trial Optional)

NYC Department of Cultural Affairs

Community-Word Project, Inc.

Women's Community Impact Consortium

Establish and support a computer center at Yesler Terrace to operate in conjunction with WCIC's Delridge Way center, train 45 people in information technology skills and produce a computer training video for distribution in Seattle Public Libraries.

NSF

Polynomial equations are ubiquitous in science, describing important physical principles and serving as mathematical models for complex natural phenomena. Algebraic geometry studies geometric structures arising from solutions to systems of polynomial equations. To gain a better understanding of these structures, it is useful to study how they change when the corresponding equations are slightly perturbed. This is achieved by studying a “parameter space” for these structures. The overarching goal of this project is to use techniques from commutative algebra to tackle longstanding questions related to the Hilbert scheme, a parameter space for polynomials with fixed properties. The project’s broader impacts include developing new packages for the open-source computer algebra system Macaulay2, organizing local seminars, and organizing mathematical conferences. The investigator will focus on three areas of commutative algebra and algebraic geometry: 1) Singularities of the Hilbert scheme of points on a threefold: The main goal is to understand the singularities of the Hilbert scheme of points on a smooth threefold. In particular, the investigator will focus on determining the smooth points and explaining some of the patterns appearing in the structure of the singularities. 2) Exploring multigraded Hilbert schemes and other moduli spaces: The investigator will study the space of branch varieties, a close analogue of the Hilbert scheme, and focus on studying the projectivity of this moduli space. 3) Varieties in weighted projective spaces: The investigator will focus on developing a set of tools to extend classical theorems in projective space, such as Macaulay’s theorem on the existence of Hilbert functions and the del Pezzo-Bertini classification of varieties of minimal degree, to weighted projective spaces. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

NSF

This project addresses fundamental mathematical problems at the intersection of classical and quantum fluid dynamics, with a focus on compressible and quantum Euler systems. These models capture a range of complex physical phenomena, from high-speed gas flows to quantum fluids like super-fluids and Bose-Einstein condensates. The research aims to advance understanding of the transition from compressible to incompressible flow in the low Mach number regime and to explore how quantum effects influence solution structure and stability. The project also supports graduate training in mathematical analysis and applied partial differential equations (PDEs). The first component focuses on the incompressible limit of global weak solutions to the compressible Euler equations using convex integration, addressing key challenges such as nonlinear oscillations and weak convergence. The second component studies the quantum Euler equations derived from the Schrödinger equation via Madelung’s transformation, with a focus on whether quantum pressure intrinsically regularizes solutions. Analytical tools include polar decomposition and dispersive PDE theory. This research introduces new techniques in nonlinear PDEs and contributes to a deeper theoretical understanding of hyperbolic and dispersive systems in mathematical physics. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

Community Art Center

Company One presents Toni Morrison's "The Bluest Eye"

NIA - National Institute on Aging

As there is no cure for Alzheimer's Diseases and Related Dementias (ADRD), it is imperative to invest in ways to prevent them before they occur. Prior studies have found disparities in ADRD prevalence based on socioeconomic status (SES), race/ethnicity, and sex, with the highest prevalence observed in those who are Black, Hispanic, women, or living in low-SES households. However, few studies have examined the impact of biological factors such as inflammation, Hemoglobin A1c and none have quantified their impact on SES, race/ethnicity and sex disparities in dementia. Furthermore, few studies have considered whether psychosocial factors modify the association between lifestyle/metabolic factors and dementia risk, or whether these associations differ based on SES, race/ethnicity or sex. A deeper understanding of the complex interrelationships between lifestyle, metabolic and psychosocial factors on dementia risk is needed to develop effective interventions to reduce disparities in dementia. Lastly, when designing interventions to prevent ADRD, policymakers must consider inherent trade-offs between interventions that maximize health in the general population and those that minimize health disparities. For dementia, the potential benefits, cost-effectiveness and tradeoffs among these health approaches in reducing disparities are as yet untested. The proposed study, Personalized Targeted Multi-Factorial Approaches to Reducing DIS-parities in ADRD (TARDIS-AD project), will leverage our team’s expertise in causal mediation, machine learning, and simulation modeling to identify personalized intervention strategies that would most effectively and cost effectively reduce disparities in dementia risk. Specifically, the proposed study aims to: Aim 1: Determine the extent to which (a) lifestyle and (b) metabolic factors mediate the relationships of SES, race/ethnicity, sex, with dementia. We hypothesize that SES-, race/ethnicity-, and sex disparities in dementia risk are partially explained by differences in lifestyle (e.g. diet) and metabolic factors (e.g. Hemoglobin A1c) and thus targeting these lifestyle and metabolic factors could help reduce disparities in dementia. Aim 2: Identify early- and midlife psychosocial factors (e.g., early-life trauma) that modify the effect of lifestyle and metabolic factors on dementia risk in vulnerable subpopulations (e.g. low-SES). We hypothesize that negative psychosocial experiences (e.g. early-life trauma) suppress the effect of protective lifestyle/metabolic factors (e.g. high exercise level) on dementia risk in vulnerable subpopulations, suggesting that interventions will need to identify and address these underlying issues to effectively address dementia risk. Aim 3: Evaluate (a) the potential sustained effects of lifestyle/metabolic interventions on dementia incidence targeting high-risk subpopulations, the general population and vulnerable subpopulations, and (b) the cost-effectiveness of these interventions. We hypothesize that Interventions targeting vulnerable subpopulations can yield greater reduction of dementia disparities and be more cost-effective than the general population or high-risk approach.

NIH

Significance to VA Obesity is present among 41% of VA patients and incurs many physical and mental health problems, increases mortality, and accounts for a large share of health care spending. Despite significant VA investment in the MOVE! behavioral intervention program and availability of bariatric surgery, obesity rates in VA remain high. Anti-obesity medications (AOMs) can result in clinically meaningful weight loss and are recommended as part of a comprehensive obesity treatment plan. The newer AOMs offer unprecedented effectiveness and tolerability with few contraindications. AOM use in VA is thus rapidly increasing and the potential impact on Veteran health is considerable. But strategic use of AOMs for Veterans with obesity is hindered by gaps in real-world data about use, clinical outcomes, and patient and clinician perspectives. We will provide the evidence for more strategic AOM use to treat obesity in VA, aligned with VA priorities of Evidence Based Decisions and Data as a Strategic Asset; the VHA Long-Range Goals of “providing health care-related data that benefits Veterans and the general public”, and the HSR priority of “Connect Veterans to the…best care (optimize Veteran access…and experience)”. Innovation & Impact We will assess new AOMs at a time of accelerating Veteran demand, provide the first rigorous evidence of AOM use and outcomes in men, examine weight change and clinical outcomes in real-world practice to complement trial evidence, and provide an in-depth understanding of patient, clinician, and organizational leadership perspectives on AOM use and continuation. Specific Aims Aim 1: Evaluate Veteran, clinician, facility, and VISN characteristics associated with using anti-obesity medications (AOMs) in 2021-2024 and characterize duration and rates of discontinuation. H: AOM users will have different baseline weight, race/ethnicity, and comorbidities than non-users. Aim 2: Compare real-world outcomes of AOM users and non-users in 2021-2024. H: AOM initiators will have greater weight loss and cardiometabolic changes than Veterans who do not initiate AOMs. Weight loss, GI adverse effects, and cardiometabolic changes will differ across AOMs. Aim 3: Characterize factors influencing decisions to initiate and continue AOMs as part of comprehensive obesity treatment, via qualitative interviews with Veterans, clinicians and pharmacy leaders. Methodology This is a sequential explanatory mixed-methods study. Aims 1 and 2 use a retrospective comparative effectiveness study design to examine use and outcomes of AOMs. Aim 3 will use qualitative interviews with patients (N=24), clinicians (N=24), and pharmacy leaders (N=24) to explore decision-making and the reasons for observed patterns of use. The quantitative and qualitative phases will be connected by our use of Aim 1 findings to inform Aim 3 sampling for interviews, and in Aim 3 we will also explore how Aim 2 outcomes influence decisions about continued use. We will use the qualitative data to enhance and enrich understanding of the quantitative findings about AOMs through synthesis of findings across Aims. Path to Translation/Implementation Operational partners in VA Pharmacy Benefits Management and the VHA National Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, which manages MOVE!, will use our findings to inform prescribing guidance and program materials. Our team's next step will be to build on this study to develop and test an intervention to support AOM use among those Veterans that are most likely to benefit in terms of clinical and quality of life outcomes, which will in turn optimize VA resources and maximize Veteran benefit.

NIMHD - National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities

In the U.S., 17.3% of families with children report food insecurity with even higher rates among lower-income families. Given the impacts of food insecurity on diet and health, a growing trend of “Food is Medicine” seeks to address health disparities through the integration of food and nutrition security initiatives into healthcare systems. The Food is Medicine (FIM) framework prioritizes nutrition security—access to high quality foods that promote well-being—to address health and healthcare-related outcomes across different populations. Expanding access to FIM interventions to address health disparities was a major focus of the 2022 White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health. Subsequently, several states have begun using Medicaid funding for FIM interventions, including food prescription programs (i.e., medically tailored groceries, produce prescriptions). Food prescriptions have the potential to manage and prevent diet-related health conditions, reduce healthcare utilization, and reduce food insecurity, however, poor usage threatens their effectiveness with prescription redemption rates as low as 9-18% in the literature. There is a need for rigorous research on usage and acceptability of food prescription interventions as a tool to reach the youngest populations at risk for food and nutrition insecurity. While food prescriptions may originate with a healthcare provider and be paid for by health insurance, the execution of these programs lies with community-based organizations and food retailers. This proposal addresses the urgent need for community organizations to understand how to increase utilization of food prescription programs among families with small children. This research employs a community-engaged approach to develop and test two innovative food prescription interventions among 225 Medicaid families with children (ages 2-6) who have screened positive for food insecurity at local pediatric clinics. This population has been chosen to match eligibility for a recently started Medicaid food prescription program in our state (New York). Each family will be randomized to one of three study arms and provided a food prescription, focusing on fresh produce, weekly for 26 weeks. The usual care control arm will receive a mobile market-based produce prescription, and the two intervention arms will receive either a customizable box of fresh produce or a choice of meal kits (produce box with recipes and all the complementary ingredients to make 3 healthy meals with the produce), both delivered to their home. We will work directly with community partners who normally deliver FIM programs so that findings can be immediately applicable to FIM practitioners. Outcomes will focus on program utilization (enrollment, redemption, and food usage) for Aim 1 and fruit and vegetable consumption, diet quality, food and nutrition security and cooking self-efficacy for Aim 2. Aim 3 will qualitatively examine program implementation, secondary program impacts, and cost effectiveness. Together these aims will help understand how to address low utilization rates of food prescription programs with the goal of reducing food insecurity among families with young children.

NIDDK - National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a leading cause of mortality in the United States, affecting ~32 million Americans. Genetic ancestry is increasingly recognized as an important factor in CKD risk. Specifically, 13% of individuals of African ancestry carry two variants in the Apolipoprotein L1 (APOL1) gene, termed “G1” and “G2,” which result in a high-risk genotype when present in homozygosity (G1/G1 or G2/G2) or heterozygosity (G1/G2). It is estimated that 15% of individuals with a high-risk genotype will reach end stage kidney disease (ESKD). APOL1 risk variants may also be associated with cardiovascular disease, but the data supporting this correlation is less certain. Most investigations of people with APOL1 risk variants have analyzed all high-risk genotypes together. However, recent studies show the complexity of the APOL gene structure, including reports of novel sub-genotypes conferred by 1) a protective variant in APOL1, p.N264K, that mitigates risk of APOL1-associated kidney disease and 2) a protein-truncating variant in Apolipoprotein L3 (APOL3), p.Q58*, that increases risk of CKD/ESKD in individuals with one high-risk APOL1 allele. A recent mouse model also showed that treatment with a renin-angiotensin system inhibitor (RASi), a common antihypertensive medication class known to improve kidney and cardiovascular outcomes in certain patients, resulted in markedly reduced proteinuria and in APOL1 G1/G1 transgenic mice compared to APOL1 G2/G2 mice. While research is underway to identify treatment targets for APOL1-nephropathy, little evidence exists regarding how APOL genotypes affect kidney and cardiovascular outcomes, and whether existing treatments may differ by APOL genotype in humans. The hypothesis of this proposal is that there is a differential benefit of RASis based on APOL genotype, which translates to lower risk of adverse kidney and cardiovascular outcomes with RASi-treatment compared to other antihypertensive medications for those with the APOL1 G1/G1 and APOL1 G0/G1 APOL3 p.Q58* genotypes vs. other APOL genotypes. To test this hypothesis, I plan to analyze two well-phenotyped, prospective cohorts with available APOL1 genotyping (the Chronic Renal Insufficiency Cohort [CRIC] and Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial [SPRINT]) and two large, multi-ethnic real-world cohorts with whole exome sequencing to include novel APOL variants (Penn Medicine Biobank [PMBB] and the All of Us Research Program). I will perform mixed effect modeling and inverse probability of treatment weighting with Cox regression to assess risk of CKD progression and cardiovascular events, respectively. In conjunction with a Master’s program in genetics and epidemiology, the proposed application for the NRSA award will provide intensive preparation for a career focused on the improvement of precision medicine in kidney disease.

NIDDK - National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT End-Stage Kidney Disease (ESKD) in children is a challenging medical condition affecting growth, development, and quality of life. Nearly 10,000 children in the US rely on dialysis or kidney transplants. ESKD patients face a restrictive diet, impacting nutrition and overall health. Nutritional inadequacy in ESKD affects electrolyte balance, fluid status, blood pressure, and growth, especially in children. Medically tailored meals (MTMs) are a potential solution, delivered directly to homes or through dietitian-led culinary medicine (CM) education for caregivers. Balancing convenience and education poses feasibility challenges for both approaches. The Texas Children’s Hospital (TCH) serves a majority of urban, Hispanic, and African American pediatric ESKD patients. A proof-of-concept trial at TCH aims to compare CM-based MTMs and pre-prepared MTMs for ESKD pediatric patients. The trial involves 30 parent-child dyads, with data collected through Electronic Medical Records, surveys, and food recalls. Specific aims include: Aim 1 - Conduct formative research with key stakeholders (parents/caregivers [henceforth referred to as parents] of ESKD pediatric patients, dietitians, social workers, pediatric nephrologists) to obtain perspectives on managing ESKD specific dietary needs, pre-prepared MTMs, integrating CM with nutrition education and culturally-appropriate implementation strategies; and Aim 2 - Assess feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary impact with parent/child dyads (n=30). Hypotheses focus on the feasibility and acceptability of both interventions, with secondary hypotheses exploring the impact on parents’ behaviors and children’s diet quality. Exploratory hypotheses examine metabolic profiles. The study also aims to determine the budget impact of both interventions. The study aligns with PAS-20-86 Small R01s for Clinical Trials, addressing NIDDK's mission to gather preliminary data on feasibility, effectiveness, and cost-effectiveness of MTM approaches for ESKD pediatric patients. The significance of the study lies in its potential effectiveness, scalability, and sustainability for larger trials.