UCLA Health Equity Challenge provides funding to support student-driven solutions to health inequities

Are you a UCLA graduate student with an original idea for improving health equity? Do you want to help a community organization win $50,000 to make your project a reality?

The UCLA Health Equity Challenge, conducted by the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research (CHPR) in collaboration with the MolinaCares Accord and the California Health Care Foundation, provides an opportunity for graduate students to turn their ideas into action and develop innovative solutions that a community-based organization can implement.

UCLA graduate students are invited to submit a two-page application that identifies a current health equity issue in Los Angeles, San Bernardino, or Riverside counties and a short description of an intervention that could be implemented by a local community-based organization.

Proposals can include direct interventions, program development, policy changes, or other innovative ideas. Graduate students from all disciplines are encouraged to apply, including: public health, policy, education, law, urban planning, psychology, medicine, sciences, business, and more. Applications are due by Monday, October 28, 2024.

“We’re looking for graduate students who want to take their educations beyond campus and make a difference in our communities,” said Kathryn Kietzman, PhD, director of CHPR’s Health Equity Program. “Whether developing apps, bringing technology from clinical settings to the streets, or finding culturally relevant targeted outreach into underserved communities, I’ve been amazed at the students’ creativity and ingenuity in developing their proposals. It’s been so encouraging to see how the grad students have helped us fulfill our obligation to leveraging our expertise to help Californians.” 

Up to 15 students will be named finalists and will participate in the full competition. Each student will receive a $2,500 stipend and over the course of 15 weeks, identify and work with a faculty or community mentor, participate in trainings and workshops, write a blog, select a community organization that can implement the project, create a poster, and develop a full project proposal. 

Projects must be feasible, innovative, and have measurable outcomes to assess desired improvements in the identified community health issue. Existing projects led by faculty are not eligible. 

An Independent Review Committee will evaluate the proposals and select four student projects for funding. The students will be awarded an additional $2,500 stipend and their community partners will be awarded up to $50,000 each to implement the project.

An awards ceremony will be held in late May/early June 2025.

Now in its fourth year, the Health Equity Challenge has awarded nearly $500,000 to community organizations to turn students’ projects and proposals into programs that will benefit millions of Californians. Previously awarded projects include: point-of-care ultrasound screenings for heart failure for people experiencing homelessness; a peer specialist pilot for a jail diversion and housing program; a mental health de-escalation toolkit for medical providers; trauma-informed yoga and mental health services and workshops for South Asian survivors of interpersonal violence; an extreme heat preparedness and response training for caregivers; a mobile health screening protocol for vision-threatening conditions and eye safety training for jornaleros (day laborers) who often encounter hazardous working conditions; and more.

Interested in learning more about the Health Equity Challenge? Register to attend an info session on Friday, October 11, 2024, at noon.

Visit healthequitychallenge.com to get started!