Following a competitive review process, grants will be awarded to teams of faculty and students to conduct pilot projects investigating communication’s key role in promoting wellness, creating a culture of empathy among healthcare providers, and enabling people to resist and recover from illness or injury. 

TIMELINE FOR 2021-2022 CHER CYCLE

• Mid-September 2021: Initial cycle announcement circulated
• November 5, 2021: Deadline for Letters of Interest (see template)
• December 3, 2021: Applicants notified, finalists invited to prepare full proposal and presentation
• Early January 2022: Finalist presentations
• January 30, 2022: Awards announced
• February 1, 2022: Current cycle funding period starts (projects must have IRB approval before funds released)
• Early fall 2022: Current cycle “mid-term” progress reports due to CHER grant program administrators; financial progress report provided by CHC to grantees
• Early spring 2023: Current cycle “wrap up” progress reports due to CHER grant program administrators; financial progress report provided by CHC to grantees
• May 31, 2023: Current cycle funding period ends, and final reports due

2020-2021 CHER Grantees

CHER awarded approximately $20,000 for the fourth cycle of grant funding.

CHER Grantee #1: Developing a Health Communication Intervention to Meet the Psychosocial Needs of Young Women Living with Breast Cancer

• Principal Investigator: Kate Pounders, Ph.D., Stan Richards School of Advertising & Public Relations
• Co-Investigator: Tara Kaufmann, M.D., Departments of Oncology and Internal Medicine
• Co-Investigator: Elizabeth Kvale, M.D., MSPH, LIVESTRONG Cancer Institutes, Departments of Internal Medicine, Population Health, and Oncology
• Co-Investigator: Daniela De Luca, Stan Richards School of Advertising & Public Relations

CHER Grantee #2: COVID-19: A Social Marketing Approach to Investigating Prevention and Self-Reporting Messages Targeting Underserved BIPOC Populations in Central Texas

• Principal Investigator: Sean Upshaw, Ph.D., Stan Richards School of Advertising & Public Relations
• Co-Investigator: Billy Table, Ph.D., Center for Health Communication and Department of Population Health

2019-2020 CHER Grantees

CHER awarded approximately $20,000 for the third cycle of grant funding.

CHER Grantee #1: Assessing Oncology Patient Communication Needs and Preferences to Improve Informed Treatment Decision-Making

• Principal Investigator: S. Gail Eckhardt, M.D., LIVESTRONG Cancer Institutes
• Co-Investigator: Lee Ann Kahlor, Ph.D., Stan Richards School of Advertising & Public Relations
• Co-Investigator: Barbara Jones, Ph.D., MSW, Steve Hicks School of Social Work
• Co-Investigator: Laura Cannon, PharmD, MPH, College of Pharmacy

CHER Grantee #2: Promoting Communication in the Intensive Care Unit Between Nonspeaking Patients and Healthcare Providers

• Principal Investigator: Rajinder Koul, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders
• Co-Investigator: Marissa Mery, MD, Department of Surgery and Perioperative Care

2018-2019 CHER Grantees

CHER awarded approximately $20,000 for the second cycle of grant funding.

CHER Grantee #1: Developing Public Health Messaging to Reduce Asthma Disparities

• Principal Investigator: Dr. LeeAnn Kahlor, Stan Richards School of Advertising & Public Relations
• Co-Investigator: Dr. Elizabeth Matsui, Department of Population Health

CHER Grantee #2: Optimizing Messages for Personalized Chronic Disease Prevention and Management

• Principal Investigator: Dr. Marissa Burgermaster, Departments of Population Health and Nutritional Sciences
• Co-Investigator: Dr. Matt McGlone, Department of Communication Studies
• Co-Investigator: Dr. Brandon Allport, Departments of Population Health, Internal Medicine, and Pediatrics

2017 – 2018 CHER Grantees
CHER awarded approximately $20,000 in the inaugural 2017-18 grant cycle for three projects.

CHER Grantee #1: Lead Poisoning Prevention in Texas Communities

• Principal Investigator: Dr. Anjum Khurshid, Department of Population Health
• Co-Investigator: Dr. Brad Love, Stan Richards School of Advertising & Public Relations
• Co-Investigator: Dr. Kate Pounders, Stan Richards School of Advertising & Public Relations

CHER Grantee #2: Studying the Effects of Empathetic Healthcare

• Principal Investigator: Dr. David Ring, Departments of Surgery and Perioperative Care and Psychiatry
• Co-Investigator: Dr. Joost Kortlever, Department of Surgery and Perioperative Care
• Co-Investigator: Dr. Laura Brown, Center for Health Communication

CHER Grantee #3: Minority Women’s Enrollment in Clinical Trials

• Principal Investigator: Dr. J Stuart Ferriss
• Co-Investigator: Anita Vangelisti, Department of Communication Studies
• Assistant: Suzanne Burdick, Department of Communication Studies
• Assistant: Stephanie Nutt, Department of Women's Health