Journey Health Foundation Research Center REACH Fund

The Research for Evidence-based Action in Community Health (REACH) seed funding program supports applied research that connects data, partnerships, and innovation to advance community well-being. 

The Journey Health Foundation Research Center (JHFRC), housed within the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga’s Gary W. Rollins College of Business, invites proposals for the JHFRC REACH Fund. 

This program supports innovative, applied research that deepens understanding of how social determinants of health (SDoH) influence health outcomes. Funded projects will help communities in Chattanooga and the surrounding region better target resources, guide investments, and design data-driven solutions that reduce disparities and improve well-being.

Up to $25,000 will be awarded for each 12-month project to foster cross-sector collaboration, generate actionable insights and strengthen the region’s data ecosystem. Awards are designed to support early-stage work that can grow into larger projects, external grant applications, or long-term community partnerships. 

Use the following drop downs to learn more about the program. 

Purpose

The purpose of this initiative is to:

• Support projects that illuminate how SDoH affect community health outcomes in Chattanooga and the surrounding region.
• Develop and test strategies that improve local social and health conditions and offer lessons that can be applied regionally and/or nationally
• Build research capacity and foster partnerships across disciplines and organizations
• Generate preliminary data to strengthen applications for larger, external funding
• Enhance UTC’s role as a hub for community-engaged research and innovation

As a seed funding program, the REACH Fund prioritizes projects that pilot innovative approaches, build partnerships, or generate preliminary data that can inform larger efforts. This initiative is designed to spark early-stage research and collaboration that can grow into broader, sustained impact across the region.

Projects may focus on, but are not limited to, housing, education, food security, economic stability, transportation, broadband access, healthcare access or community engagement. Studies examining the relationship between SDoH and major health issues (e.g., chronic disease, mental health, substance use and/or addiction) are particularly encouraged, especially those that collect primary data, develop and test pilot studies, and utilize evidence-based, community-driven approaches. 

Prospective applicants are encouraged to discuss early-stage project ideas with JHFRC staff to ensure strong alignment with program goals and available data resources.

Examples of eligible research projects

The REACH Fund supports a wide range of applied research activities that strengthen the region’s capacity to understand and address social determinants of health. Examples of eligible project types include, but are not limited to:

 

• Pilot projects and innovative interventions: Projects that test a new idea, strategy, tool or community intervention on a small scale, such as:
  • Piloting a new service model or outreach strategy within a community organization
  • Testing a data-driven approach for improving access to transportation, food, broadband, housing or youth programming
  • Trialing a new evaluation framework or intake form to better measure client needs
  • Developing and testing a new index, composite measure or geospatial tool

 

• Evaluation of existing programs or initiatives: Projects that assess how well a current program is working, such as:
  • Evaluating program effectiveness, service reach or outcomes
  • Comparing program use or outcomes across neighborhoods, demographic groups or priority populations
  • Identifying barriers to service access or retention
  • Measuring short-term or long-term impacts on participants

 

• Building understanding of a specific community issue: Exploratory or descriptive studies that build foundational knowledge, such as:
  • Mapping the geographic distribution of needs, assets or risk factors
  • Examining trends and disparities related to chronic disease, mental health, substance use, housing instability, food insecurity, childcare, transportation or environmental conditions
  • Conducting qualitative or mixed-method studies to understand lived experience, barriers or system-level challenges
  • Identifying root causes of a complex issue to guide future interventions

 

• Data infrastructure, system improvement and research capacity building: Projects that strengthen organizations’ ability to collect, manage, integrate and leverage data, such as:
  • Developing new data collection tools, intake processes or reporting systems
  • Standardizing or improving data quality within a program or organization
  • Creating geospatial datasets, dashboards or decision-support tools
  • Integrating administrative datasets across organizations, sectors or systems
  • Establishing new data partnerships, protocols or governance processes
  • Creating resources that support ongoing research infrastructure (metadata, data dictionaries, mapping frameworks, etc.)

 

• Community-engaged and participatory research: Projects that meaningfully involve community partners, residents or service providers in shaping the research, such as:
  • Participatory research aimed at co-designing interventions with community stakeholders
  • Collaborative assessments with nonprofits, health systems, schools or public agencies
  • Studies that elevate lived experience to refine program design or identify barriers

These examples illustrate—but do not limit—the broad range of applied research supported by the REACH Fund. Applicants are encouraged to propose creative, interdisciplinary and community-engaged projects that deepen understanding, build capacity and advance data-informed action.

Funding and budget guidelines

• Maximum award: $25,000, including indirect costs at 15%
• Project period: 12 months (anticipated start date: June 2026)
  • A six-month no-cost extension may be requested if additional time is needed to complete the proposed work
• Allowable direct costs include:
  • Student wages and associated fringe benefits
  • Summer salary for faculty and associated fringe benefits
  • Research supplies, data acquisition and software
  • Travel related to the project, workshops or convenings
  • Fees related to publication for scholarly journals
  • Fees related to community partnership and/or other professional consultation for project implementation and sustainability
  • Research participant incentives and other expenses directly related to project completion
• Unallowable direct costs include:
  • Extra service pay during the academic year for faculty
  • Memberships or costs typically covered by other institutional sources
  • Adjunct replacement salaries
  • Large equipment (over $5,000)

Note: The Journey Health Foundation funds will be issued to UTC as external research awards under the existing Master Research Grant Agreement between UTC and the Journey Health Foundation. Each selected project will be formalized through a Grant Project Task Order Agreement. Funds will flow directly from the Journey Health Foundation to UTC.

Data sharing, dissemination and acknowledgement

Awardees are expected to share project data and findings with the Journey Health Foundation Research Center (JHFRC) to enhance the region’s collective understanding of SDoH. De-identified data will be incorporated into the Center’s secure data hub to strengthen future research and community collaboration. 

Data deliverables: At the conclusion of the project, investigators must provide the Center with key datasets (in de-identified form, where applicable), metadata, and a brief summary of analytic methods used.

 

Data use: Shared data may be incorporated into JHFRC’s dashboards, reports, and collaborative analyses.

 

Compliance: All data involving human subjects must adhere to UT and federal IRB, HIPAA, and confidentiality standards. Sensitive or identifiable data should not be shared with JHFRC unless covered by an approved data use agreement.

 

Knowledge sharing, publications and acknowledgement: Awardees are encouraged to share project findings broadly — with both community and scholarly audiences. This may include working with JHFRC to present results to community stakeholders, contribute to Center dashboards or reports, and publish or present findings in academic or professional venues.

 

All publications, presentations, posters, or related products must include the following acknowledgment: This project was supported by the Journey Health Foundation Research Center at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga’s Gary W. Rollins College of Business.

 

When feasible, investigators should notify the JHFRC prior to submitting manuscripts or abstracts to coordinate communications and ensure consistent recognition across Center-supported projects. Awardees are also asked to share copies or links to accepted publications, presentations, or other dissemination products with JHFRC so they can be included in the Center’s repository of funded work and community impact stories.

 

Data Availability: Through formal data use agreements, awardees may access selected datasets currently housed within the JHFRC Data Hub to support their proposed research. 

Eligibility

• Applicants must be UTC faculty or staff.
  • Only full-time UTC faculty or staff are eligible to serve as PIs due to compliance and financial oversight requirements.
  • Part-time employees, adjunct faculty, and students may participate as collaborator but may not serve as Lead PI.
• Collaborations across departments, colleges, or with community partners are strongly encouraged.
  • Researchers from other Tennessee institutions may be included as sub awardees or consultants on UTC-led projects, but they are not eligible to serve as Lead PIs.
• Each applicant may serve as lead PI on only one proposal but may participate as a collaborator on others.

Application requirements

Proposals must be complete and submitted electronically to be considered for review. Each application must include the following components:

• Project narrative – Describe the project in detail, addressing the following sections:
  • Project Information: Project title, principal investigator (PI), collaborators, department, and department head.
  • Specific Aims: Clearly state the research objectives or hypotheses.
  • Significance and Community Relevance: Explain why the project matters and how it addresses a gap or opportunity related to one or more social determinants of health (SDoH). Describe the potential for the project to generate actionable insights, strengthen partnerships, or inform community programs, policies, or investments that improve well-being in Chattanooga and the surrounding region.
  • Methods: Outline the study design, data sources, and analytical methods.
  • Collaboration Plan: Identify key community partners, their roles, and how collaboration will strengthen the project.
  • Compliance Statement: If the project involves human subjects, protected data, or other compliance considerations, confirm that appropriate approvals (e.g., IRB) will be sought prior to initiating data collection or analysis. IRB approval is not required at the time of proposal submission but must be obtained prior to data collection.
• Growth and sustainability plan – Briefly describe how this seed grant could grow, evolve, or continue beyond the initial funding period. This may include opportunities to expand partnerships, pursue future research questions, integrate findings into programs or policy, or seek additional funding. You may identify potential funders or collaborators that align with your project’s focus, but a confirmed pathway is not required. The goal of this section is simply to illustrate the project’s potential to build momentum and contribute to ongoing community impact.
• Timeline – Provide a brief timeline outlining key project phases and anticipated dates for major milestones such as data collection, analysis, and dissemination. This helps reviewers assess project feasibility within the 12-month funding period.
• Budget – Provide a detailed, itemized budget outlining how the requested funds will be spent during the project period. Explain how each cost supports the proposed activities. The budget should include accurately estimated costs across all applicable categories including personnel, supplies, equipment, travel, and dissemination.
• CVs/resumes for key personnel – Include short bios or CVs (up to 2 pages per person) summarizing relevant experience, training, and prior research or community engagement.
• Approval letter from department head – Include a signed letter from the department head confirming that the proposed project aligns with departmental and institutional priorities and that the department is aware of and supportive of any time or effort commitments associated with the project.
• Letter(s) of support – Include any letter(s) of support and/or commitment from community partners and other external stakeholders (if applicable).

Note: The REACH Fund is designed to be accessible and efficient. While proposals should demonstrate thoughtful design and clear potential for impact, the application process is intentionally streamlined to reflect the scale of this seed funding opportunity.

Review process and selection criteria

Applications will be reviewed by a committee convened by JHFRC. Proposals will be evaluated on the following criteria:

• Feasibility: Quality of design, appropriateness of methods, timeline, and budget.
• Significance and merit: Importance of the problem, innovation, and clarity of research aims.
• Impact and relevance: Likelihood to advance understanding of SDoH and generate actionable community insights.
• Collaboration and capacity-building: Extent to which the project strengthens cross-sector or interdisciplinary partnerships.
• Future fundability: Potential to position the research team for external funding opportunities.

Reporting requirements

Awardees must provide:

• Interim reports and/or presentations (6 and 12 months after project start).
  • JHFRC will provide a report template.
• Final report (within 30 days of project completion).
  • Final report and/or presentation can be submitted prior to the 12-month end date.
• Updates on follow-on funding, publications, community impacts, or other outcomes.

Awardees are also encouraged to collaborate with JHFRC on opportunities to share project results through community forums, dashboards, or future reports.

Number of projects

The total number of projects funded will depend on relevant project proposals received and total funds available.

Key dates and milestones

The REACH Fund will follow a consistent annual timeline. While specific dates are updated each year, applicants can expect the following sequence:

• RFP release: Early January
• Proposal submission deadline: Late March
• Award notifications: Early May
• Project start date: Early June
• 6-month interim report: Approximately November
• Final report: Approximately May of the following year (with an option to request a no-cost extension if additional time is needed)

Pre-submission information session

Each year, at least (1) optional information session will be planned. These gatherings will provide space for interested applicants to ask questions, exchange ideas for potential proposals, and connect with faculty, staff, or community partners who may be open to collaboration.

The sessions will be intentionally conversational and flexible—supporting everything from early-stage brainstorming to identifying partners or seeking feedback on a proposal concept prior to submission.

Submission instructions

Each year, at least (1) optional information session will be planned. These gatherings will provide space for interested applicants to ask questions, exchange ideas for potential proposals, and connect with faculty, staff, or community partners who may be open to collaboration.

The sessions will be intentionally conversational and flexible—supporting everything from early-stage brainstorming to identifying partners or seeking feedback on a proposal concept prior to submission.

The PI/project team must work with ORSP to prepare the budget well in advance of the submission deadline. Contact Ashley Ledford at [email protected] to be assigned to a grants specialist for support. Once the budget is approved by ORSP, the PI will submit the application in InfoReady Review.

Application resources 

• See ORSP’s InfoReady review page to learn how to set up an account and apply.
• For technical assistance, please contact the InfoReady Review help desk.
• For program-related questions, contact: [email protected].