Six to eight project teams that did not advance to the full proposal stage of the Indigenous-Led Solutions to Advance Health Equity and Wellbeing Call for Proposals will be invited to participate in and co-design a year-long technical assistance (TA) cohort program with the ultimate goal of building on applicants’ strengths to enhance capacity and acquire future funding for their research projects. The TA cohort program will be facilitated by Dr. Jeana Morrison, Dr. Claudette Grinnell-Davis, and Dixie Blumenshine.
Meet the Team
Dr. Jeana Morrison, PhD (she/her)
Dr. Jeana Morrison (she/her) introduces herself and the Indigenous Led Solutions TA Cohort Program. Dr. Morrison is responsible for the operation of multiple initiatives that are core to E4A’s mission and goals. This includes grantee management where she is the primary point of contact, works closely with prospective applicants, and oversees a portfolio of over 30 active research grants. She also maintains the Technical Assistance (TA) program where she provides research support and capacity building. Dr. Morrison's scholarship is informed by critical epistemologies to investigate the points at which higher education, policy, and racial identity intersect to influence Black student experiences across the African diaspora.
Claudette Grinnell-Davis, PhD
Claudette Grinnell-Davis is an assistant professor at the Anne and Henry Zarrow School of Social Work, on the University of Oklahoma’s Tulsa campus. Dr. Davis’s current research focuses on the experience of American Indian and Alaska Native families in state child welfare systems, and on policy analysis that demonstrates the need to hold Federal and state governments responsible for their treaty obligations under the Indian Child Welfare Act. Claudette has been a part of the Indigenous-Led Solutions CFP from its early stages, participating in the development of the CFP and in proposal review and now contributing to technical assistance. A descendent of country marriages between French fur traders and Indigenous women in the Great Lakes region, Claudette is working to establish lineal descendancy while applying the traditional values with which they were raised with to be an advocate in policy spaces for Indigenous people. In addition to policy work, Dr. Davis also examines the needs of people who age out of foster care as parents and how people without family privilege form chosen family networks.
Dixie Blumenshine (she/her)
Dixie Blumenshine (she/her pronouns) is a citizen of the Oglala Lakota Nation and current fourth-year medical student at UCSF. She began supporting Indigenous community organizing and advocacy nine years ago, and is now pursuing a career as a physician and epidemiologic researcher with the goal to support Indigenous health equity, sovereignty, and self-determination. She is humbled and excited to aid applicants in technical assistance for the Indigenous-Led Solutions CFP as a step in learning how to best support Indigenous-led health interventions throughout her career. Although her lived experience is limited, having grown up away from her Tribe, she is committed to using her growing academic and professional toolbox to assist applicants in writing successful grants and supporting Indigenous health equity into the future. Her other professional interests include 2SLGBTQ+ advocacy, harm reduction, and mentoring in STEM research and medicine.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the general expectations of participants?
Participants are expected to actively participate in a series of virtual (and possibly in-person meetings). These meetings will occur in group settings as well as focus on individual project teams. Meetings could take the form of speaker panels, workshops, brainstorming, consensus building, etc. and will be constructed according to the needs of the group. General conduct and requirements for participants will also be decided in collaboration with the cohort.
Why was I invited to participate?
TA invitees were selected based on a priority to support community-led projects that are using innovative methodological approaches to get to unique systems-level solutions.
How do I accept the invitation?
Respond to the invitation that was sent on April 1st by end of day Wednesday, April 10th indicating your interest in TA.
By when do I need to decide?
April 10, 2024.
How many teams are participating?
Six to eight teams from different Indigenous communities or tribes within the US and its territories.
What is the time commitment?
Up to 12 months starting in the fall of 2024. Frequency and duration of meeting times will be determined in collaboration with the cohort.
What if I have questions before I decide?
If you have any questions, please contact the Evidence for Action program office at evidenceforaction@ucsf.edu.
What does it mean that this is co-developed with participants?
Participants will share mutual responsibility for deciding what the structure and content of the TA will be based on consensus making.
If I don’t accept, will it hurt my chances for future funding opportunities?
Your decision not to accept the TA invitation has no impact on future funding with E4A or the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
Will ownership of my proposed intervention/project shift if I accept changes to my proposal or project in the TA process?
No. We are wholly respectful of both intellectual and data sovereignty. As such, ownership will remain with the original team and you are not obligated to accept suggestions and input.