In response to the recent flooding in Eastern Kentucky and increasing climate-related health challenges in general, the University of Kentucky Center for Appalachian Research in Environmental Sciences (UK-CARES) in collaboration with other UK centers has launched a new pilot funding and mini-grant program. The UK for KY Rapid Response Pilot Program aims to support faculty in any UK college who propose research through the lens of how climate change affects human health, or what tools and technologies can be developed to foster climate resilience and to help people affected by climate change and weather-related disasters.
Funding and support for the new grant program are provided by UK-CARES, the Center for Clinical and Translational Science (CCTS), the Center for the Environment, and the Tracy Farmer Institute for Sustainability and the Environment.
Investigators may request up to $20,000 in pilot funding or mini-grants up to $5,000. The awards are intended to stimulate innovation, develop multidisciplinary research that addresses impacts of climate change on human health, and generate data for extramural funding proposals.
The UK for KY Rapid Response Pilot Program will accept applications on a rolling basis until October 31. Submissions will be reviewed and awards granted as applications are received; applicants are encouraged to apply as soon as possible because program funds might be depleted.
“Climate alters health through extreme weather events such as the recent catastrophic flooding in Eastern Kentucky, but also through exposure pathways such as air and food quality and population displacement,” said Ellen Hahn, PhD, nursing professor and director of UK-CARES. “This new funding mechanism is rooted in the urgency to better understand climate drivers like flooding, exposure pathways, and environmental contexts like infrastructure or land use that impact health outcomes such as heat-related illness, cardiopulmonary disease and mental health, for example.”
Applications to the UK for KY Rapid Response Pilot Program should address at least one of the Climate and Health Priority Areas set forth by the National Institute of Health:
- Innovative Research that Addresses Climate Change and Human Health
- Scientific Infrastructure to Address Human Health and Climate Change
- Research and Community Partnerships to Address Environmental Injustice and Foster Resilience
- Rapid Research Response Capacity to Address Human Health and Climate Change
- Diverse Workforce to Address Human Health and Climate Change
- Translation and Dissemination of Research Findings and Health Protective Strategies
“This funding program is not just about health care. We’re looking for multidisciplinary, innovative approaches to the complex challenges resulting from climate change and weather disasters,” said Joel Thompson, PhD, research development director for the CCTS. “Applications for this funding do not need to be clinical or translational, but should examine how climate change affects human wellbeing and/or your science.”
The complete RFA and application details are available here.
Applications must be submitted via the WebCAMP Portal.
For questions regarding this funding opportunity, contact Joel Thompson, PhD, CCTS Research Development Director & Pilot Funding Project Manager, at joel.thompson@uky.edu.
