The latest issue of Health Affairs, which Robert Wood Johnson Foundation sponsored, is devoted to disparities in health. The findings reveal in striking detail how factors such as social determinants, disparities in the health care system, and the lack of diversity in the health professions coalesce to undermine the quality and fairness of our health and health care.

The selected articles include the prologue on “The Social Determinants of Health” and an article analyzing “Geographic and Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Child Health.” Dolores Acevedo-Garcia and colleagues—including David R. Williams, director of the RWJF Commission to Build a Healthier America—paint a disturbing picture of an “unequal geography of opportunity.”
http://www.rwjf.org/pr/product.jsp?id=27151&c=EMC-ADV [Advances e-Newsletter]

This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), issued by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), encourages applications for the development of: (i) innovative cancer education programs; and (ii) cancer research dissemination projects that can be completed within 5 years. Specifically, the types of Cancer Education Grant Programs (CEGPs) that may be supported include: (1) innovative educational programs intended to motivate biomedical and other health science students to pursue cancer related careers; (2) short courses to update cancer research scientists in new scientific methods, technologies and findings; (3) training of cancer care clinicians and community health care providers in evidence-based cancer prevention and control approaches; and (4) development of effective innovative education (dissemination) approaches to translate knowledge gained from science (discovery) into public health, and community applications (delivery). http://www.grants.gov/search/search.do?&mode=VIEW&flag2006=true&oppId=17310

MedlinePlus http://medlineplus.gov/ is a website created by the National Library of Medicine to provide the general public with a trustworthy and reliable online health information resource. “Health Disparities”was recently added to the over 700 health topics section. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/healthdisparities.html Find overviews, the latest news, journal articles, statistics and more on this page.

Brookdale Foundation Group Seeks Proposals for Alzheimer’s Disease Respite Program
Deadline: July 2, 2008
The Brookdale Foundation ( http://www.brookdalefoundation.org/ ) Group Respite Program supports community-based efforts to develop and sustain social model respiteprograms for elders with Alzheimer’s disease and their families. http://fconline.foundationcenter.org/pnd/15012095/brookdale

Project Ignition Invites Students to Create Innovative Safe Driving Awareness Projects
Deadline: May 16, 2008
Sponsored by State Farm (http://www.statefarm.com/about/csr/csr.asp ) and coordinated by the National Youth Leadership Council ( http://www.nylc.org/ ), Project Ignition provides students in grades 9 through 12 and their teachers with the opportunity to work together to address the issue of teen driver safety. http://fconline.foundationcenter.org/pnd/15012098/prjctignit

Young Social Entrepreneurs Invited to Apply for YouthActionNet Global Fellowship Program
Deadline: May 15, 2008
Young People working to bring about positive societal change in their communities are invited to apply for the YouthActionNet Global Fellows Program. Each year, twenty exceptional young social entrepreneurs are selected as YouthActionNet Global Fellows. The program is open to all young people between the ages of 18 and 29. http://fconline.foundationcenter.org/pnd/15012099/youthaction

Gale/Library Media Connection TEAMS Award to Honor Teacher and Media Specialist Collaborations
Deadline: April 28, 2008
The Gale/Library Media Connection TEAMS Award recognizes and encourages the critical collaboration between the teacher and media specialist to promote learning and increase student achievement. All K-12 public and private schools in the United States and
Canada are eligible to enter. http://fconline.foundationcenter.org/pnd/15012100/galeschools

Library of Congress’ Teaching With Primary Sources Program Accepting Proposals
Deadline: May 30, 2008
The Library of Congress’ ( http://www.loc.gov/ ) educational outreach program, Teaching with Primary Sources, is expanding across the United States. The mission of the Teaching with Primary Sources program is to build a consortium that fosters collaborations between the Library of Congress and the educational community to increase instructional use of Library of Congress digital primary sources within K-12 classrooms. http://fconline.foundationcenter.org/pnd/15012101/waynesburgedu

Target Stores Accepting Applications for Local Store Grants Program
Deadline: May 31, 2008
Target Corporation’s ( http://www.target.com/ ) Local Store Grants provide funding support to “Target” communities in the areas of arts, reading programs, and family violence prevention. http://fconline.foundationcenter.org/pnd/15012103/target

Michael J. Fox Foundation Initiative to Support Development of Web-Based Tools to Increase Patient Participation in Parkinson’s Clinical Trials
Deadline: May 14, 2008 (Pre-proposals)
As part of its ongoing efforts to develop research tools that can speed the availability of life-transforming treatments for Parkinson’s disease, the Michael J. Fox Foundation ( http://www.michaeljfox.org/ ) has announced the launch of its Web-based Clinical Assessment Program. Under this initiative, the foundation seeks to drive the creation and testing of Web-based tools that would allow any patient with a personal computer and an Internet connection to participate in clinical research from the comfort of their own home. http://fconline.foundationcenter.org/pnd/15012109/michaeljfoxfdn

Reader’s Digest Foundation to Donate $1 Million Based on Inspiring Stories from the Public
Deadline: Rolling
The Reader’s Digest Foundation ( http://www.rd.com/foundation/ ) has announced that it will donate a total of $1 million to non- profit organizations through a new initiative called “Make it Matter.” Grants will be inspired by individuals who are taking action and giving back to their communities in significant ways. Every month, the foundation will select one individual’s story of good deeds done and grant $100,000 to a nonprofit organization in honor of that individual. Reader’s Digest magazine will then feature that person in its new column, “Make it Matter.” http://fconline.foundationcenter.org/pnd/15012110/readersdigest

Syringe Access Fund Offers Technical Assistance Grants
Deadline: May 15, 2008
The Syringe Access Fund is a collaborative grantmaking initiative working to reduce the risk of HIV infection and other blood-borne pathogens among injection drug users, their sexual partners, and children through expanded access to sterile syringes. The Syringe Access Fund is a collaboration between the Levi Strauss Foundation, the Elton John AIDS Foundation, the Irene Diamond Fund, the National AIDS Fund, the Public Welfare Foundation, and the Tides Foundation. The Syringe Access Fund is offering a small grants program for needle exchange programs throughout the United States (including tribal land/reservations) and Puerto Rico for organizations that have not received a grant in the past from the fund. http://fconline.foundationcenter.org/pnd/15012111/tidesfdn

Copyright (c) 2000-2008, the Foundation Center. All rights reserved. Permission to use, copy, and/or distribute this document in whole or in part for non-commercial purposes without fee is hereby granted provided that this notice and appropriate credit to the Foundation Center is included in all copies. RFP Bulletin (March 28, 2008)

USAC Rural Health Care Service Discounts
http://www.raconline.org/funding/funding_details.php?funding_id=16
Application deadline: Applications accepted on an ongoing basis.
Provides discounts to rural health care providers to obtain Internet and telecommunications access.

2008 ASHP Foundation Medication Safety Team Grant: Optimizing Bedside Technology Solutions
http://www.raconline.org/funding/funding_details.php?funding_id=1845
Application deadline: Apr 1, 2008
Funding that supports research related to the use of barcode scanning technology at the point of medication administration to enhance the safe use of medications.

Training and Information for Parents of Children with Disabilities–Community Parent Resource Centers
http://www.raconline.org/funding/funding_details.php?funding_id=419
Application deadline: Apr 18, 2008
Grants to local community parent resource centers for parents of children with disabilities.

Planning Grants (Health Center)
http://www.raconline.org/funding/funding_details.php?funding_id=1484
Application deadline: Apr 21, 2008
The purpose of this activity is to support grants for the planning and development of new service delivery sites in high poverty counties funded under section 330 of the Public Health Service Act.

2008 Mary Kay Ash Shelter Grant Program
http://www.raconline.org/funding/funding_details.php?funding_id=1176
Application deadline: Jun 30, 2008
Grants to women’s shelters for victims of domestic violence.

Local Initiative Funding Partners Program 2009
http://www.raconline.org/funding/funding_details.php?funding_id=4
Application deadline: Jul 8, 2008
Funding for promising, original projects that can significantly improve the health of vulnerable people in their communities.

Samuel Harris Fund for Children’s Dental Health Dentistry Grant Program
http://www.raconline.org/funding/funding_details.php?funding_id=406
Application deadline: Jul 17, 2008
Grants for oral health promotion programs designed to improve and maintain children’s oral health through community education programs.

[posted on Rural Assistance Center Health Update]

The New York Times recently published an article on a website “Paitents Like Me” http://www.patientslikeme.com/ This website is a collaborative effort on the part of patients to share data about their illnesses. I had heard about the website, but didn’t set up an account to log on and check it out. This article seems to do a pretty thorough job of discussing how the site was created and what its purpose is. This is not an endorsement of the website - just a brief entry on the blog to let you know about it’s existence, to give you a chance to read up about it. http://tinyurl.com/2puy3z

SACNAS National Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah, October 9-12, 2008
The annual meeting of the Society for Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) brings together over 2,000 underrepresented minority science undergraduate and graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, precollege educators, and science faculty and professionals for 3 days of scientific research presentations, professional development workshops, and mentoring and networking opportunities. http://www.sacnas.org/confNew/confClient/

IHS Demonstration Project for Health Style in Youth
http://tinyurl.com/3bvzwg
The Indian Health Service (IHS) announces a cooperative agreement, HHS-2008-IHS-HLY-0001 for Tribes or Tribal organizations to promote healthy lifestyles among American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) youth using the curriculum “Together Raising Awareness for Indian Life” (TRAIL) among selected Boys and Girls Club sites. Under this grant opportunity, IHS proposes to enter into a collaborative effort/initiative with an eligible Tribal entity that has experience in addressing healthy lifestyle techniques in AI/AN youth. The purpose of the initiative is to address healthy lifestyle development with a focus on nutrition and physical activity for children and youth 6 through 17 years of age. The eligible Tribal entity will work with Tribal Boys and Girls Club sites to provide health and physical education by helping youth: achieve and maintain healthy lifestyles through fitness programs; acquire a range of physical skills; and develop a sense of teamwork and cooperation. These early intervention opportunities may reduce and/or halt the increasing trend of obesity and diabetes among youth and young adults. Clubs that develop a health promotion program that includes the TRAIL curriculum may curtail the effects of unhealthy eating behaviors and lack of physical activity that can lead to obesity, diabetes, and other chronic diseases later in life.

Circles of Care IV: Infrastructure Development for Children’s Mental Health Systems in American Indian/Alaska Native Communities Grant
http://tinyurl.com/2vr7nl
The purpose of this program is to provide tribal and urban Indian communities with tools and resources to plan and design a holistic, community-based system of care to support mental health and wellness for their children, youth, and families. These grants will increase the capacity and effectiveness of behavioral health systems serving AI/AN communities. As a result, Circles of Care grantees will be equipped to reduce the gap between the need for behavioral health services and the availability and coordination of services for children and families in AI/AN communities.

National Network for Tobacco Control and Prevention Grant
http://tinyurl.com/39q7ek
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announces the availability of fiscal year (FY) 2008 funds to develop a consortium of national networks to expand the science of tobacco control within populations experiencing tobacco-related disparities. The consortium of national networks will facilitate a process by which network participants will inform the tobacco prevention community about: the depth of industry targeting; the gaps in data used to describe the burden of tobacco; and strategies to implement proven or promising interventions in specific populations. Each Network will build capacity in communities by recruiting individuals and organizations to facilitate learning and information sharing across and within network participants.

[posted on Grants.gov Opportunities Posting Update]

The Gay and Lesbian Medical Association (GLMA) has issued a call for presentations to be delivered at its annual conference. Researchers, clinicians, educators, public health professionals, and policymakers working in the area of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender health are encouraged to submit proposals. Accepted proposals will be presented at the conference, Oct. 22-25 in Seattle. Proposals are due March 31.
Information: Go to http://www.glma.org/annualconference/abstracts
[posted on CPBR listserv]

The National Library of Medicine is pleased to announce a new web resource for its Disaster Information Management Research Center (DIMRC) disasterinfo.nlm.nih.gov. The aim of the DIMRC web site is to provide access to quality disaster health information to the nation at all stages of preparedness, response, mitigation, and recovery. The initial phase of this web site focuses on NLM and NLM-supported resources and activities. The web site will expand to include other sources of authoritative disaster health information. http://sis.nlm.nih.gov/dimrc.html