Interdisciplinary Research Leaders Messenger
May 2019
Stacy Kiven, IRL Program Intern
Dear IRL Fellows,
First, I want to take a moment to congratulate Cohort 1 on your graduation. I have had the pleasure of meeting many of you during our convenings and for those I haven’t talked to, I feel we are somehow connected through the monthly messengers. I joined the IRL staff as an intern in the Spring of 2018 and since then, I have been fortunate to gain exposure to the field of public health through a lens that has altered my perspective on community work and research.
As a recent graduated from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities with a Bachelor of Individualized Studies in Life Sciences, Psychology and Public Health, I would say I have had a rather interdisciplinary education. With that, I plan to pursue a career in medicine. In a few weeks, I will be moving to California to do research on pain in humanized mouse models with sickle cell disease, while applying for MD programs. As always, as one chapter ends, another begins and although I am sad to close this chapter and leave IRL, I look forward to what the future holds.
IRL holds a special place in my heart. Never would I have imagined writing this letter, as a recent college graduate, to a group of dynamic, established and high-achieving individuals who are doing wonderful things to create change in the health sphere. But that’s just the thing about IRL. It fosters growth, leadership and creates a space where each person’s unique skills, knowledge, and perspectives are invited to the table and harnessed, irrespective of background, for the greater good. I am beyond grateful for the experiences I have had here at IRL. From the workshops on dissemination and using research as a tool to inform policy, to the presentations and networking at the Annual Leadership Institute, and working with the IRL program staff team, have added to my toolbox, knowledge and skills that will serve myself and others well, as I move forward .
To Cohort 1, again, congratulations on your achievements. Despite being the program’s guinea pig you have soared and shown the value of IRL in the work you have done thus far, and the communities you work with. Cohort 2, the IRL middle child, keep pushing with those projects, your almost there! And Cohort 3, you’ve only just begun.
Thank you and farewell.
Stacy Kiven is an intern for the IRL program. She recently graduated from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities with a Bachelors of Individualized Studies in Life Sciences, Psychology and Public Health. As a program intern Ms. Kiven works primarily with IRL Senior Communications Specialist, Haley Cureton and is also responsible for creating the monthly IRL messengers.
Cohort Webinars + Deadlines
Cohort specific calendars, updated regularly to keep track of IRL webinars, milestones, meeting dates and curriculum deadlines. Email IRL staff at researchleaders@umn.edu with questions.
Cohort 1- Webinars and Deadlines
Cohort 2- Webinars and Deadlines
Cohort 3- Webinars and Deadlines
News from RWJF: Advocacy 101 and 102 Webinar Recordings
Below are links to recordings of the advocacy webinars RWJF hosted back in April. RWJF sent these recordings directly to all participants and they are also posted in the IRL social space on NovoEd:
Advocacy 101: Effective Policy Engagement
In this introductory session, you will learn a variety of ways your RWJF-funded work can influence policy without crossing the line into “lobbying.” This webinar is focused on our newest leadership program participants, but leaders from any cohort can benefit.
Advocacy 201: Crafting Strategic Policy Outreach
By structuring your outreach effort strategically, you can maximize policy engagement, consistent with the Foundation grant rules. In this session, you will learn about the tools available for effective policy engagement with RWJF funding. The session will feature examples inspired by the work of current program participants.
Cool News! Seven IRL teams worked together with the peer-reviewed journal Housing Policy Debate to create a special issue that features their research.
This special issue—Unlocking Opportunities to Create a Culture of Health in Housing: Lessons from Interdisciplinary, Community-Engaged Research Teams—explores connections between housing and health, highlighting the research of C1 Teams: San Francisco, Memphis, DC/NJ, Fresno, Baton Rouge, Alabama and North Carolina. Also see the special issue introduction written by C1 fellow Irene Yen and members of the IRL NPC team.
A different article will be available open access every two weeks between now and July 21. For brief summaries of the articles, links to each, and the dates they will be open access, please read this post.
- Check out the IRL social space regularly to see announcements, questions and discussions posted by IRL fellows and special opportunities posted by the IRL NPC.
- To log in visit irl.novoed.com. Your account is linked to your primary email address and you can reset the password yourself at any time.
Attention Cohort 3! Your assignments for your Dissemination Coach (Austin or Aaron) is in Module 8 of the "Use of Evidence in Policymaking" mini-course
To Improve Health Equity, Rural America Must Be Part of the Frame
May 2, 2019 RWJF Culture of Health Blog Posted by Whitney Kimball Coe
What does it take to build fair opportunities for health in rural communities? A passionate advocate shares firsthand insights, as well as a new funding opportunity aimed to help build on existing lessons.
My family lives in Athens, Tenn., population 13,000, and we are familiar with the truths of an economy that has changed. We shake our fists at spotty broadband and crumbling roads. And we know what it’s like to watch main street awnings turn yellow and old factory stacks rust and crack in the sun, to lose family farms to corporate agribusiness, and see health care specialists move to medical centers 70 miles up the road.
But these challenges obscure a much deeper truth about my hometown and other places in the countryside: we keep showing up in many ways and in many roles as public servants, entrepreneurs, social change agents, and keepers of community memory.
For us, the key is to acknowledge that change is inevitable, that growth is necessary, and that communities should be the drivers of their own destinies.
At the DC Communications and Policy Workshop, we were lucky to have the talented professional photographer, Leigh Vogel, with us documenting the energy and engagement surrounding the meeting and the Cohort 1 graduation ceremony.
You can find Leigh's photos in this Dropbox folder: 2019 IRL DC Meeting. Feel free to download and use these photos, always including photo credit: Leigh Vogel, 2019.
Research Leaders Publications, Media and News
Announcement: Dominic Moulden has been invited to lead a discussion on August 24th, 2019 about ONE DC's Making the Just City at first-ever "Working While Black" Expo at Coppin State University in Baltimore hosted by the National Black Worker Centers Project (NBWCP). NBWCP is staging an Expo to "share our stories on a broader platform and give greater visibility to our campaign to change the national narrative of Black workers from one of unemployment, workplace discrimination and underemployment to one of opportunity. NBWCP wants to empower and inspire Black workers, celebrate our culture, provide access to apprenticeship opportunities, educate participants about our economic history and collaborate on our future." Registration details TBD.
Announcement: IRL is an institutional member of IAPHS, the Interdisciplinary Association for Population Health Science, a forum that connects population health scientists across disciplines and sectors to improve population health and reduce health inequity. In addition to hosting an annual conference in Settle, Washington, October 1-4, 2019 (that many IRL fellows attend) they have a blog, a mentoring program, resources, and awards programs. Each of you can get a 20% discount on membership by using the code 19RWJF20. It's a great way to continue our connections during and beyond the IRL program and we encourage you to join. The theme for the 2019 Conference is “Local, national, global impacts on population health” and conference Registration opens on April 1, 2019. [Shared by Sarah Gollust]
Announcement: The National Center for Complex Health and Social Needs requests applications for workshop presentations for their Putting Care at the Center 2019 conference. The workshops at are intended to expose participants to a particular model, teach a specific skill, or discuss a particular topic that is immediately actionable for attendees. Workshops can be panel presentations, podium talks, experiential training, facilitated work sessions, or small group discussions, with a preference for interactive approaches. [Shared by Steve Barlow]
Open Position: Assistant Dean of Research at The University of Alabama [Shared by Safiya George]
Open Position: Assistant Professor of Native Hawaiian and Indigenous Health at the University of Hawai'i at Manoa [Shared by Jane Chung-Do]
- Open Position: Associate Dean of Research at Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health [Shared by Brianna Woods-Jaeger]
- Open Position: Associate Dean for Public Health and Community Engagement at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health (Tenure Track or CHS Track) [Shared by Sarah Gollust]
- Call for Articles: The Russell Sage Foundation Journal of the Social Sciences requests articles for an issue on "Wealth Inequality and Child Development: New Evidence for Policy and Practice". Prospective contributors should submit a CV and an abstract (up to two pages in length, single or double spaced) of their study along with up to two pages of supporting material no later than 5 PM EST on June 24th, 2019. [Shared by Phillip Schnarrs]
- West Virginia applying for funding to meet children's emotional needs at home [Kelli Caseman]
- Native American Behavioral Health Conference Puts Spotlight on Historical Trauma [Melissa Walls]
- New budget model coming for University of Missouri [Clark Peters]
- Shelter for Trans People Recently Opened in San Francisco [Sherilyn Adams]
- The Effects Of Early Care And Education On Children’s Health [Taryn Morrissey]
- Safiya George, Ph.D., Named Dean Of The College Of Nursing [Safiya George]
- Stop locking up teen girls for nonviolent offenses [Ann Muno]
- When Hospitals Struggle, Childbirth Centers Are Often First To Be Cut [Timothy Fisher]
- Education Levels Spark Health Disparities, Limit Patient Wellness [Stacey McMorrow]
- Sugary drink sales in Philadelphia fall 38% after city adopted soda tax, study finds [Kristine Madsen]
- A growing number of states call porn a public health crisis [Emily Rothman]
- “The DC Health Care Alliance is a model public insurance program. But its burdensome requirements cause many eligible residents – and their health – to lose out.” [Nina Yamanis and Taryn Morrissey]
- Maternity Deserts [Katy Kozhimannil]
Send updates for the next Messenger
If you have work being published or posted, send word to Manyi Ayuk (ayukx004@umn.edu), IRL Research and Communications Intern. Doing so will allow us to post the news to IRL social media and the next Messenger to raise the visibility your great work!
@IRLeaders on Social Media
A few moments captured on @IRLeaders social media this month.
Connect with the rest of your @RWJF change leadership network on social media: Clinical Scholars = teams of clinicians addressing complex health problems in their communities; Health Policy Research Scholars = investing in scholars from all disciplines as future leaders in shaping policy to support health and equity; and Culture of Health Leaders = supporting individuals from all sectors with good ideas to move communities toward a Culture of Health.
Interdisciplinary Research Leaders is a program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation administered by the University of Minnesota
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Minneapolis, Minnesota