Michigan Public Health researchers partner on five U-M Strategic Initiative Fund projects
The University of Michigan has named the first 37 projects to receive funding through the Strategic Initiative Fund (SIF), the $1 billion, 10-year commitment President Domenico Grasso announced last November to support bold, mission-aligned ideas across the university. The inaugural open call drew nearly 500 proposals from faculty and staff; on Aug. 26, U-M announced that 37 of them will share $40 million in initial funding.
Michigan Public Health faculty and staff are contributing expertise to several of the newly funded projects, partnering with colleagues across the Medical School, School of Kinesiology, College of Engineering, School of Nursing, School of Social Work, and other U-M units.
Where Michigan Public Health is involved
Scaling Interprofessional Education to Improve Human Health
Led by the Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education, this project will expand hands-on, team-based learning that brings students from all 26 U-M health science programs into shared clinical and community settings. Michigan Public Health is one of 10 partnering health science schools working to grow TEAMS-Collaborate, the center's most advanced interprofessional training experience.
The Exercise Oncology Initiative (EOI)
A partnership between the School of Kinesiology, Rogel Cancer Center, and UM-Flint's College of Health Sciences, EOI is building the university's first training pathway for exercise oncology professionals—clinicians equipped to deliver evidence-based exercise support to cancer patients and survivors. Michigan Public Health joins the project as a contributing school.
Personalized Immune Models to Predict Infectious Disease Outcomes
Led by the Medical School, this project pairs single-cell transcriptomics and AI/ML modeling to predict how individual patients will respond to viral infections, building toward more personalized treatment and prevention. Aubree Gordon of Michigan Public Health is a named contact on the project.
AI-Enabled Scalable Training for Global Mental Health Service Providers
Led by the College of Engineering, this initiative will build an AI-enabled platform to train mental health counselors in Latin America and South Africa, addressing a counseling workforce shortage in low- and middle-income countries. Michigan Public Health's John D. Piette is a named contact on the project, alongside the School of Nursing's Lynae A. Darbes.
Transformative Health Justice Training for Interprofessional Learners
Led by the Medical School, this initiative will develop an immersive, interdisciplinary curriculum on health equity and medical racism, anchored by a five-day experience at artist Michelle Browder's Teaching Campus in Alabama. Michigan Public Health is listed among the partnering U-M teams.
Learn more
Read the full University Record announcement, Strategic Initiative Fund announces first 37 funding recipients, and browse all 37 funded projects on the Look to Michigan website.
Media Contact
Destiny Cook
PR and Communications ManagerUniversity of Michigan School of Public Health734-647-8650
