Please note that this funding mechanism is now closed.

Funded Projects:

• Keith Bellizzi (Human Development and Family Sciences). “Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on the Management of Mental Health Conditions among UConn Undergraduate Students.”
• Saraswathi Bellur (Communication), Rebecca Acabchuk (Psychological Sciences), and Emily Hennessy (Psychological Sciences). “Evaluating UConn Student Well-Being in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic.”
• Stacey Brown and Toan Ha (Public Health Sciences). “Assessing the Knowledge, Attitudes, and Resulting Behavior Changes in Response to COVID-19 Among Connecticut Residents.”
• Lisa Butler (InCHIP) and Phelgona Otieno (Kenya Medical Research Institute). “An Exploratory Study on the Effects of COVID-19 and Associated Social and Economic Changes on HIV-Affected Households in Western Kenya.”
• Jeffrey Burke and Olivia Derella (Psychological Sciences). “Healthy Transmission of Coping During COVID-19: The Impact of Parents’ Emotional Characteristics on Caregiver and Child Pandemic Response.” In addition to InCHIP, this project is being funded by:

  APSSC Student Research Grant

  UConn Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship

  UConn Julian B. Rotter Fellowship

• Sandra Chafouleas and Emily Iovino (Educational Psychology). “Understanding Stress and Personal Well-Being Among Primary Caregivers of Children Aged 6 to 18 During COVID-19 Pandemic.”
• Xiang Chen (Geography), Debarchana Ghosh (Geography), and Marlene Schwartz (Human Development and Family Sciences / Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity). “Understanding the Impact of COVID-19 on Food Procurement Behavior and Food Activity Space.”
• Amanda Denes (Communication) and Talea Cornelius (Columbia University Irving Medical Center). “Exploring the Effects of Social Isolation, Relational Quality, and Communication on Couples’ Physical, Mental, and Relational Health during the COVID-19 Pandemic.”
• Stephanie Gernant (Pharmacy Practice). “How Has the Most Accessible Healthcare Professional Responded to Social Distancing?”
• Damion Grasso (Psychiatry). “Examining the Impact of the Coronavirus Pandemic in a Low-Income, Trauma-Exposed Cohort of Women with a High Rate of Posttraumatic Stress During Pregnancy.”
• Blair T. Johnson (Psychological Sciences) and Mary Bernstein (Sociology). “Gun Violence, the COVID-19 Pandemic, and Community Health.” In addition to InCHIP, this project is being funded by:

  2019 CLAS Interdisciplinary Pilot Grant Program (with Co-PI Kun Chen, Statistics)

  The Bennett Fund for Innovative Education in Health and Society

• Kenneth Lachlan and Stephen Stifano (Communication). “Examining Attributions of Blame Associated with the COVID-19 Pandemic.”
• Eva Lefkowitz (Human Development and Family Sciences). “LGBTQ+ College Students’ Living Arrangements and Well-Being during the COVID-19 Pandemic.”
• Kevin Manning and David Steffens (Psychiatry). “Change in Older Adults’ Depression, Anxiety, and Social Support in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic.”
• Carla Rash (Medicine; Calhoun Cardiology Center) and Jeremiah Weinstock (Saint Louis University: Psychology). “Changes in Gambling Behavior Due to COVID-19.”
• Beth Russell (Human Development and Family Sciences), Crystal Park (Psychological Sciences), and Michael Fendrich (School of Social Work). “Evaluating the Impact of COVID-19 on Young Adults’ Stress, Coping, and Substance Use Behavior.”
• Natalie Shook (Nursing). “Predictors and Consequences of Preventative Health Behaviors during the COVID-19 Pandemic.”
• Sara Stifano, Katrina Webber, Shardé Davis, and Stephen Stifano (Communication). “Stayin’ Alive: Using the Health Belief Model to Understand Persons’ of Color Intentions to Wear Masks during the COVID-19 Pandemic.”
• Howard Tennen (Public Health Sciences) and Marcella Boynton (UNC Chapel Hill’s School of Medicine). “Development and Testing of Effective Message Elements to Encourage Social Distancing Behaviors.”
• Sarah Willen (Anthropology), Abigail Fisher Williamson (Trinity College: Political Science and Public Policy & Law), and Katherine Mason (Brown University: Anthropology). “Pandemic Journaling in the Era of COVID-19: Launching a Collaborative Archive + Health Intervention.” In addition to InCHIP, this project is being funded by:

  Global Affairs

  CLAS

  School of Fine Arts

  School of Social Work

  Asian and Asian American Studies Institute

  Center for Judaic Studies and Contemporary Jewish Life

  Human Rights Institute

  Humanities Institute

  El Instituto

  Research Program on Global Health & Human Rights at HRI

  Department of Anthropology

  Department of History

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To learn more about the funding opportunity, please click on the button below:

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Description:

The Institute for Collaboration on Health, Intervention, and Policy (InCHIP) invites research proposals that address the social and behavioral implications of Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19). With no current vaccine available, institutions and governments have addressed the spread of disease through other modes, namely by encouraging or enforcing behavioral prevention strategies such as increased hygiene and social distancing. In many cases, significant measures have been undertaken including state-wide school closures, telecommuting, and changes in restaurant/business operations. While essential to mitigating the spread of COVID-19, these measures — coupled with the anxiety and uncertainty created by the global pandemic — have massive implications for the physical, mental, social, and financial well-being of millions.

To better understand the broader impact of the COVID-19 pandemic as it unfolds, InCHIP plans to provide several research teams with rapid release funds to capture/analyze time-sensitive data.

Possible areas of study include, but are not limited to:

• Hygiene, Behavior, and Transmission Prevention – How do cognitive, affective, and social-contextual factors influence individuals’ level of adherence to CDC/WHO and state recommendations and guidelines?
• Social Media, Social Networks, and Mass Media – What has influenced the relative uptake of behavioral precautions such as social distancing? How has misinformation about the COVID-19 spread across social networks and what impact does it have on the spread of disease across various demographics? How can social media be used to increase the uptake of behavioral precautions and decrease misinformation?
• Mental Health and Wellbeing – What is the impact of social distancing and quarantine on mental health and substance use? What are the mental health impacts of quarantine and the pandemic on specific populations (e.g. elderly people, children, college students)? What strategies can be used to reduce stress and anxiety associated with COVID-19 (e.g., among college students)?
• Implications for Immunocompromised Populations – How has the pandemic uniquely impacted people living with HIV, heart or lung disease, or diabetes?
• Social Support and Infrastructure – What are the ongoing implications of the pandemic to social support systems, public health infrastructure, and institutions that support individuals living with limited resources (examples: schools/universities, public libraries, Veterans Affairs, homeless shelters, food pantries)?

Research areas not currently funded through this mechanism:

• Vaccine Development
• Viral Pathogenesis
• Natural History of COVID-19
• Immunology or Virology

Award Amount:

InCHIP will fund multiple projects with budgets up to $5,000. This funding is intended for costs associated with time sensitive data collection and analysis. Awards of larger amounts will be considered with prior approval of InCHIP Director Amy Gorin (contact directly at amy.gorin@uconn.edu). Our focus at this time is on supporting the collection of data in the immediate future. Additional funds may become available if longitudinal data collection is justified or study aims need to be expanded over time.

COVID-19 Guidance for the UConn Research Community

For the most up-to-date information about research activities at the University of Connecticut, please visit this webpage through the OVPR.

Learn More & Apply

Upcoming Workshop on Mindfulness POSTPONED UNTIL FALL 2020:

“Working Together to Build the Science and Practice of Mind-Body Health”

Featuring:

Vamsi Koneru, PhD, clinical psychologist in private practice at Koneru Psychotherapy; certified mindfulness teacher with Engaged Mindfulness Institute; Assistant Clinical Professor at UConn School of Medicine; and board member of Copper Beech Institute.

When:

Postponed until Fall 2020. Dinner will be provided.

Where:

Innovation Partnership Building, 159 Discovery Building, Storrs, CT.

RSVP Below

“Working Together to Build the Science and Practice of Mind-Body Health”

Featuring:

Vamsi Koneru, PhD, clinical psychologist in private practice at Koneru Psychotherapy; certified mindfulness teacher with Engaged Mindfulness Institute; Assistant Clinical Professor at UConn School of Medicine; and board member of Copper Beech Institute.

When:

Wednesday, February 24, 2021 from 6:00 to 7:30 pm.

Where:

WebEx.

RSVP Below