The Social Impact Innovation Grant Program—made possible by a generous gift from Ken Hao and Kathy Chiao—provides funding for current Berkeley students to explore and establish community-based projects that improve health equity within and across communities.
Social Impact Innovation Grant Program
Vision
A new generation of innovative and equity-centered public health leaders.
Mission
Encourage students to proactively identify public health challenges, engage directly with the communities affected by these issues, and devise sustainable, people-centered solutions that generate positive impact.
Description
A small grant program to seed multiple practice-based social impact projects developed by undergraduate or graduate students.
Eligibility
To be eligible for a grant, students must develop a proposal for a project that improves health equity—either locally or globally. The following eligibility criteria will also apply:
- Current Berkeley Student: All undergraduate and Master’s students who are currently enrolled in a UC Berkeley degree program and will graduate in Spring 2025 or later are eligible to submit a proposal.
- Social Impact Focus: Projects must catalyze positive health-related social change through a) direct community partnership and b) direct action (such as services, policy change or products) that improves people’s lives and promotes health equity within or across communities.
- Student-driven Project: Students are encouraged to reach out to faculty and staff to informally solicit feedback or advice on project goals and approach, but projects must be student-driven and cannot be formally overseen (i.e. managed) by faculty or staff.
- Collaboration: Students will be required to form teams of 2–4 people.
*Analytical and theory-based research (e.g. methodology development, pure data collection and data analysis, literature reviews, etc.), while important for advancing the public health mission, are not eligible for this program.
Format and Timeline
Interested students must fill out the SIIG Interest Form by October 1, 2024, participate in at least 6 of 9 workshops in Fall 2024 and submit a proposal in January 2025. Selected teams will implement in Spring and Summer 2025. More details below:
- Register your interest by filling out the SIIG Interest Form by October 1, 2024: You will share your initial idea and indicate which Social Impact Tuesday workshops you will be attending in the Fall. Attendance is required at six of nine workshops in order to apply for a SIIG grant.
- Attend Social Impact Tuesdays in Fall 2024: These will occur most Tuesday afternoons.
- Apply for the Social Impact Innovation Grant Program by January 3, 2025: Students will apply in teams of 2-4 people by submitting proposals that include the issue(s) to be addressed, gaps in any existing solutions, partnership plan, solution development process, implementation plan, timeline, budget, risks and mitigation strategy, expected outcomes, and evaluation metrics. Application forms will be available in September 2024. A selection committee will evaluate the proposals and select up to 15 teams to implement their ideas in Spring and Summer 2025.
- Implement social impact projects during Spring and Summer 2025: Teams whose proposals are selected will receive up to $15,000 (based on the budget outlined in the proposal) to implement their idea. All grant funding recipients must provide a written report detailing the outcomes of their projects, lessons learned, and a final accounting of project expenses.
Evaluation Criteria
| Evaluation Criteria for Proposals | |
|---|---|
| Comprehensive | Well-thought-out idea/project proposed that meaningfully addresses each of the application prompts. |
| Community-engaged | The partner community is clearly identified. The applicant has effectively demonstrated an understanding of the community and its needs and has considered ways to engage the partner community in the solutions development process. |
| Equity-Centered | The project outlines realistic success metrics and health outcomes. These outcomes, if achieved, will address historical and contemporary injustices, help eliminate health disparities, and assist in overcoming economic, social and other obstacles to health. There is an explicit focus on improving health outcomes and creating opportunities for those historically excluded. |
| Innovative | The project differentiates itself from existing services available or enhances existing services to improve or make them more accessible. |
| Impactful | The proposed solution both addresses a need for the identified audience and adds significant value for the affected community. |
| Sustainability & Scalability | The proposed project shows potential for long-term sustainability and/or expansion to service a larger audience (in the future). |
| Interdisciplinary | Collaborative project team that includes participation from students/alumni/organizations from more than one discipline (public health, business, engineering, data science, etc.). |
Participation Expectations
All program participants must sign a document (link accessible to UC Berkeley accounts only) outlining expectations related to principles of community, behavioral conduct, risk, financial management, and other relevant issues. BPH will offer workshops to offer guidance to students in many of these areas.
Program Policies
The project team has assembled a list of policies (link accessible to UC Berkeley accounts only) to help students navigate issues related to finance, risk, branding, and more.
News and Media
Eight student-led teams win inaugural Social Impact Innovation Grants
Published February 20, 2024
More Information
Additional information will be provided at a program info session held on September 10, 2024. Please direct any other questions to the program manager at BPHsocialimpact@berkeley.edu.
2023–2024 Grant Projects
Black Lactation Matters
Black Lactation Matters sponsored ten doulas for lactation education training through UC San Diego. All of the doulas are Medi-Cal certified and are serving Medi-Cal patients. In August the team will host a Black Breastfeeding community event in Solano County to strengthen the support network and resources for parents in the area.
SPECS
Sight for pupils through early childhood screening (SPECS) hosted their first vision clinic in partnership with Head Start Oakland, offering free eye exams and prescription lenses to low-income families in the area. They also conducted needs assessment surveys to better understand barriers to vision care access and compliance.
Sofreh Salamati
Sofreh Salamati created and ran a virtual event for Afghan refugee women centered on mental health and connecting women to available resources. There was a positive reception to the event and resources – the team will continue to build momentum with future gatherings.
Building Mental Health Policy Advocacy Capacity for Youth Advocates
The team is developing a mental health advocacy course specifically aimed at youth advocates in the Global South. The course will provide information about the evolution of mental health policy and empower young people with knowledge and skills to support their policy advocacy. The team led their first roundtable discussion with youth leaders in Africa and Asia to inform the development of the course.
Supporting Childhood Literacy for BIPOC Children Through Culturally Diverse Books
The team partnered with a local independent children’s bookstore to order culturally diverse books selected based on input from pediatricians. The first order of 200 books was delivered to the two clinics they are working with, and have been distributed to Bay Area families. The team has also conducted assessments to better understand literacy needs of the community.
Advocacy Within Tribal Governance
The team is developing a health report based on the 2020 Community Health Assessment for Nanbé Ówîngeh. The team has built relationships with local tribal leaders and established their Community Focus Group (CFG). During the first CFG meeting, community members raised a priority of healthy homes, an area not focused on in the 2020 Community Health Assessment. The team will continue meeting with the CFG and strengthening relationships with local leaders to inform their health report and training tool kit.
Improving Access to HIV/AIDS Services for Visually and Hearing impaired Persons
This team is designing and installing braille tag labels in HIV testing and care rooms to support visually and hearing-impaired persons in Homa Bay County, Kenya. The signage creation is complete and they are now working with local health care workers on installation. John Mboya also met with the county director of health for Homa Bay County and the County Health Administrator in charge of the health facilities.