The Drexel University School of Public Health recently received a grant of $60,000 from Merck & Co., Inc., to expand the community-based research projects carried out by students at the school. Dr. Mary Hovinga, the associate dean for academic affairs and a professor at the School of Public Health, will administer the grant.
The Drexel University School of Public Health recently received a grant of $60,000 from Merck & Co., Inc., to expand the community-based research projects carried out by students at the school. The grant will establish the Merck Fund for Community Projects in Public Health at the School of Public Health, and will be awarded in annual increments of $20,000 over the next three years. Dr. Mary Hovinga, the associate dean for academic affairs and a professor at the School of Public Health, will administer the grant.
The award from Merck will allow the School of Public Health to provide a variety of enhancements to its Community-Based Master’s Project (CBMP) offerings, including a greater choice of projects for students, an expansion of the scope of existing projects and an increase in the school’s capacity to provide public health expertise and assistance to organizations in the greater Philadelphia area and beyond.
Each students at the School of Public Health engages in a CBMP during his or her education at Drexel University. Together with a faculty advisor, each student partners with a community agency to identify a health-related issue, develop a plan for addressing the problem and devise a solution. Each student presents their research before they graduate; some have published their results in public health journals.
"We offer an opportunity for our master’s program students to directly improve the health and well-being of the community during their time at the School of Public Health," said Dr. Hovinga. "The range of projects, which vary from creating a nutrition program for children in Philadelphia to addressing environmental pollution in developing nations, speaks to our students' inventiveness and the program’s breadth. Merck’s support will increase the impact of the school’s community health work and enhance the public health education of our students."
The faculty and administration at the School of Public Health believe community engagement and community participation is a critical component of earning a public health degree. In fact, students at the School of Public Health accrue more than 43,000 hours annually working with more than 100 partnering organizations, agencies and nonprofit groups.
"We believe that it is important to support the public health efforts of students, and help to create conditions for people to be healthy," said Ellen Lambert, Executive Director, Corporate Contributions, Merck & Co., Inc. "We are proud to partner with the Drexel University School of Public Health to help expand the community-based research and educational opportunities for public health students in Philadelphia."
The funding from Merck will be used to widen the scope of projects, enhance data collection by funding equipment and services for survey research, and allow student transportation to distant project sites. The grant may also be used to allow students to attend scientific conferences. These enhancements will allow for larger study samples, more comprehensive surveys and faster data collection and analysis.
The process for requesting funds, deadlines and distribution procedures will be announced in early 2009. The funds will only be made available to assist students at the School of Public Health with their community-based research projects.
For more information on the grant, please contact Dr. Mary Hovinga.