Since launching our research grant program in 2023, the Humana Foundation has invested in academic partners who are developing practical, evidence-based interventions to promote health equity through community-engaged research practices. To amplify the impact of our research investments, we will be sharing these learnings and solutions in a series of research reports and issue briefs so they can be utilized by other funders, nonprofits, community leaders and policymakers.
We recently published the Humana Foundation’s initial research report,
Expanding Access and Opportunities by removing barriers to participation through collaborating with respected community-based organizations and institutions.
Promoting Community Leadership by involving the local community members at multiple stages of the research to help shape the health interventions being studied.
Respecting Human Dignity with compassion and care throughout the research project, and fair compensation for participants’ and community organizations’ contributions.
Also included in the report are recommendations for funders interested in starting a public health research strategy and those wanting to attract research partners following equitable research practices, including:
- Focus on achieving health equity goals
- Invest in innovative and community-engaged research practices
- Stay current with equitable research trends
- Clarify to applicants your commitment to underserved, lower-resourced, diverse populations
- Adopt flexible funding models that can adapt to evolving needs and challenges
Our intention is that this report and our upcoming publications provide a playbook for creating scalable health equity solutions to improve the health and lives of underserved and marginalized populations.
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