Advancing a Healthier Wisconsin Endowment Awards $3.9 Million for 79 Health Improvement Projects

Milwaukee, Jan. 10, 2024 – The Advancing a Healthier Wisconsin Endowment (AHW) will fund 79 new projects focused on improving health and advancing health equity in Wisconsin. The projects were selected for grants of up to $50,000 through a competitive application process.

AHW’s Seed Grants support the pursuit of innovative strategies designed to lay the groundwork for longer-term efforts to address Wisconsin’s leading health challenges. The funding is for 12-month projects beginning in January 2024. Grant applications were peer reviewed before approval by the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW) Consortium on Public and Community Health, the AHW Research and Education Advisory Committee, and the MCW Board of Trustees—AHW’s three oversight bodies.

Grant awards totaling $3,861,496 will fuel 25 community-led projects throughout the state. Community-led projects receiving AHW funding represent 24 Wisconsin counties, with 10 projects impacting the entire state. The majority of the funded community-based projects focus on underserved populations and are led by individuals with minoritized or marginalized backgrounds. Community partner work benefiting from AHW funding includes projects focused on access to healthcare and nutrition in rural communities, fall prevention among the elderly, youth wellness programs, and health workforce expansion and development initiatives.

Additionally, AHW will fund 41 projects led by MCW faculty and 13 projects shepherded by MCW post-doctoral researchers with faculty supervision – a new offering by AHW designed to expand the pool of investigators and projects eligible for funding while developing Wisconsin’s future health workforce, including health-focused researchers. Among the projects receiving AHW funding are studies focused on advancing cancer diagnosis and care, developing new therapies for cardiovascular disease, optimizing emergency medical response, providing guidance for treating concussion, and preventing suicide.

“Our mission of maximizing the health of all Wisconsinites calls on us to develop strong working relationships with academic and community partners with the knowledge and ability to improve lives throughout the state,” said AHW director Jesse Ehrenfeld, MD, MPH. “These 79 projects reflect an impressive range of experts pursuing innovative solutions to both long-standing and emergent health challenges in Wisconsin and beyond.”

For more information on projects funded by AHW, including Seed Grant awards that take effect in January 2024, visit the funded projects page on the AHW website.