Community Health: Assessment and Improvement Measures Program

The Mayo Clinic Center for Clinical and Translational Science (CCaTS) supports research projects that address community health priorities.

Requests for applications have been issued for the following two-year Community Health: Assessment and Improvement Measures Program (CHAMP) awards:

• CHAMP Research Awards. CHAMP Research Awards support research projects that partner with the community to address health priorities. Awards cover up to $75,000 in direct costs plus indirect costs. Eligibility, funding and application information for CHAMP Research Awards is provided below.
• CHAMP Partnership Development Awards. CHAMP Partnership Development Awards support community-academic partnership development aimed at conducting research to address community health priorities. Awards cover up to $22,500 in direct costs plus indirect costs. Learn more about the CHAMP Partnership Development Award.

Projects at all stages of the clinical and translational science spectrum are encouraged.

Research projects should engage stakeholders such as community or patient representatives as partners in all phases of the research, including dissemination and implementation. Projects are encouraged to use the Community Engagement Studios to further community engagement in the project. Projects should describe how findings will directly lead to improvements in community health. In addition, the potential for future extramural support of further research should be described.

Proposals should directly involve work in the community and include community partners. Examples include proposals involving:

• Developing new and sustainable community health interventions with community partners.
• Implementing and disseminating new tools and programs of proven efficacy.
• Addressing barriers to implementation of effective therapies among groups affected by health inequities.
• Focusing on priorities or strengthening the evidence base of health conditions outlined in Community Health Needs Assessments of the applicant's county.
• Identifying community barriers or solutions to the care of complex or serious medical conditions.

Such projects should describe methods of engaging the community in project design, implementation and dissemination.

Key project goals should include measurable improvements in community health and long-term sustainability — for example, the potential for future extramural support of further research or ongoing implementation.

The purpose of the two-year award is to allow phased establishment of partnerships and infrastructure (year 1) and completion of the research objectives (year 2). During year 1, the investigators may request to work closely with CCaTS Community Engagement staff.

The goal is that by the end of the two-year project period, the community-academic research team would be ready to submit the project for funding either through another institutional research award or extramurally.

Identify community priorities

The project should address a community priority and provide evidence that the priority was identified by the community. Methods for determining community priorities include:

• Compiling preliminary data from past or current partnership work.
• Convening community experts through the Mayo Clinic Community Engagement Studios.
• Connecting with site-based Offices of Community Engagement.
  • Arizona: Marion K. Kelly (kelly.marion@mayo.edu)
  • Florida: Ashley R. Pratt (pratt.ashley@mayo.edu)
  • Minnesota: Erin C. Sexton (sexton.erin@mayo.edu) and Susan E. Fargo (fargo.susan@mayo.edu)
• Meeting with site-based community outreach and engagement teams via a Community-Engaged Research Program consultation.

Past community health needs assessment (CHNA) reports are available from Mayo Clinic Community Engagement for all communities in which Mayo Clinic operates. Individuals are encouraged to review the specific reports for more detailed information.

Eligibility

• All Mayo investigators from any Mayo Clinic campus with an M.D., Ph.D. or other doctoral-level degree are eligible for the CHAMP Research Award.
• Research scientists, research fellows and research associates may apply as long as the content of the protocol does not overlap with an application submitted by their supervising principal investigator.
• Current CHAMP Research Award holders are not eligible to apply.

Funding

CHAMP Research Awards support up to $75,000. Funding includes direct costs plus indirect costs for study-related expenses of up to $25,000 in year 1 and up to $50,000 in year 2, including the investigator's effort of up to 10%. Funding in year 2 will be contingent upon the year 1 report. (For more information, see the Reporting section below.) A portion of funds must be directed toward community collaborators. Capital equipment, computers, laptops and other general-purpose equipment are unallowable expenses.

The award duration is up to two years; no-cost extensions are considered if compelling reasons are approved.

Recipients of grants or awards supported by CCaTS may be asked to review applications for other CCaTS grants.

Application information

Timeline

• Full application deadline: June 27, 2024, 11:59 p.m. Central time.
• Award activation period: Oct. 1, 2024, through Sept. 30, 2026.

Application requirements

Completed application packets are submitted through the START application tool (must be logged in to the Mayo Clinic network). No budget is required at the time of application. Successful applicants will develop budgets after notification of award.

In the attachments, applicants are required to include:

• Biosketches for faculty team members using the new biosketch format from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
• Brief budget justification.
• Letter(s) of support from community collaborators.

Review criteria

CCaTS applies the following criteria when reviewing applications for the CHAMP awards:

• Details of partnership development processes to promote sustainability of the working relationship. This can be done in collaboration with the CCaTS Community Engagement staff.
• Utilization of existing resources and expertise from community and academic partners.
• Alignment with community health priorities.
• Potential for the partnership to be competitive for future extramural support.
• Innovation.
• Feasibility within the time and budget proposed.
• Qualifications of the applicants.

Prior approval for research involving human participants

Awardees with projects involving human participants are required to submit information to the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) to obtain prior approval before conducting any activities related to human participants. CCaTS staff members guide awardees through the process and provide assistance.

Reporting

At the conclusion of year 1, the awardee should prepare a report that clearly describes the progress made toward achieving the stated aims of the proposal, including all community-engagement activities, publications and presentations resulting from this work. The committee reviews the report and determines whether year 2 funds (up to $50,000) should be disbursed. Follow-up reports are solicited annually by CCaTS to capture resulting publications and grants.

Awardees would be expected to contribute to educational modules and enterprise-wide research forums.

Publications

The NIH Public Access Policy requires that all publications resulting from NIH funding be uploaded to PubMed Central. Recipients of CCaTS awards, including intramurally funded awards, must follow this policy. The Mayo Clinic Public Access Policy intranet site (must be logged in to the Mayo Clinic network) guides awardees through the process of uploading publications.

Please remember to cite the Mayo Clinic CCaTS in your publication.

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