Trailblazer & Trailblazer Planning Awards

Proposals for both awards must be co-led, and have 1) a university partner and 2) a community partner for the project. Both partners must currently be employed in an Indiana-based organization.

The University Project Lead must be a full-time faculty member employed by a college, university, or other academic institution located within the state of Indiana. Postdoctoral students, fellows, residents, adjunct professors, visiting professors, and staff members may collaborate on the project, but are not eligible to serve as a University Project Lead.

The Community, or non-Academic, Project Lead must have ≥80% of their work assignment based in the community. Examples of the types of organizations that Community Leads are a part of include, but are not limited to: community-based hospitals or clinics; health departments or social services agencies; K-12 education; advocacy groups; grassroots organizations; faith-based organizations; public libraries; and community organizations interested in health. If you are unsure whether someone would be eligible to serve as Community Lead on a project, contact Community Health Partnerships.

If your community-university partnership is newer, you may consider applying for then Trailblazer Planning Grant, which is intended to support the development, strengthening, or expansion of a community-university partnership. This can be between two or more organizations or individuals. The Planning Grant funds partnership development through activities such as conferences, travel, key stakeholder interviews, and/or collaborative meetings that will result in a community-engaged collaborative research proposal by the end of the project period such as an application to the Trailblazer Award. However, if your partnership is established, and there is a pilot research project, or program evaluation which you are ready to do and have a plan for, you may consider applying for the Trailblazer Award. The Trailblazer Award is intended to fund projects which either implement exploratory research or evaluate a program.

Proposals for either award should have the aim of identifying or addressing health inequities or social determinants of health. Community Health Partnerships defines health broadly, and is especially seeking proposals that aim to impact social determinants of health and focus on improving the underlying factors influencing health outcomes and health equity. These projects may span various sectors and do not necessarily have to be clinical in nature. Examples of such projects include, but are not limited to, affordable housing initiatives; food security and nutrition programs; community safety and violence prevention; education and employment initiatives; anti-discrimination and inclusion projects; environmental justice and access to green spaces; and transportation and mobility solutions. Additional topic areas that proposals may address include, but are not limited to: cancer, obesity prevention, infant mortality, access to care, mental health, and substance use disorder.

Trailblazer Award projects are up to two years in length, and up to $25,000.

Planning Grant projects are 1-2 years in length, and up to $5,000.

For more information, contact Program Manager, Sarah Glock, or the Community Health Partnerships team.

If you need assistance in developing your application and/or connecting with a community/academic partner, please reach out to one of our Community Health Partnerships Liaisons for assistance:

• Heidi Beidinger, University of Notre Dame Liaison (phone: 574-631-7636)
• Silvia Bigatti, IU Indianapolis Liaison (phone 317-274-6754)
• Priscilla Barnes, IU Bloomington Liaison (phone: 812-855-4789)
• Donna Vandergraff, Purdue University Liaison (phone: 765-494-8538)

A more comprehensive FAQ for those interested in applying is also available.