The University of Louisville (UofL) has received a substantial $6.75 million grant from the Humana Foundation to bolster and expand its health equity research initiatives. This six-year funding will support the Humana Health Equity Research Center within UofL’s School of Public Health and Information Sciences, aiming to address systemic health disparities through innovative, scalable solutions.
The grant reinforces the shared commitment of UofL and the Humana Foundation to tackle health inequities in Louisville and across the nation. It will enhance the university’s capacity to conduct interdisciplinary research, foster collaboration across multiple fields, and deepen understanding of social determinants of health.
UofL President Kim Schatzel emphasized the grant’s significance: “This partnership will generate a lasting impact for all and allows us to further amplify our efforts to reduce health disparities and fulfill our mission of improving lives through education, research and service.”
Led by Dean Katie Cardarelli and Professor Ted Smith of the Christina Lee Brown Envirome Institute, the center will focus on developing best practices for community engagement and creating evidence-based interventions to advance health equity. The initiative aims to influence public health policy and practice on a national scale.
Tiffany Benjamin, CEO of the Humana Foundation, expressed pride in the continued partnership, stating their aim to “generate lasting, meaningful change by addressing the root causes of health disparities and ensuring that innovative solutions are accessible to all.”
This funding is expected to enhance faculty resources, attract top-tier researchers, and maintain UofL’s prestigious Carnegie Foundation’s Classification for Community Engagement. By integrating research with actionable solutions, the Humana Health Equity Research Center is poised to become a trailblazer in health equity innovation, benefiting communities throughout Kentucky and serving as a replicable model for other regions.
See: “UofL receives $6.75M grant from Humana Foundation to maintain and expand impact through Humana Health Equity Research Center” (December 18, 2024)