What is the Health Communication Scholars Program?
Launched in 2013, the Health Communication Scholars Program (HCSP) seeks to support graduate student research in health communication. HCSP was created by Dr. Mike Mackert within the Moody College of Communication and initially funded by the Provost’s Teaching Fellows program. HCSP specifically aims to provide grant-writing experiences to graduate students interested in exploring topics related to health communication.
The program hosts a grant-writing workshop every fall in which faculty from across campus who have secured external funding provide their insights on writing effective grant submissions, details on the review process, and how to navigate early-career grant seeking. Each year, the program also offers an opportunity for graduate students to submit proposals to receive funding (up to $2,500) for their research. Interdisciplinary teams of graduate students are invited to submit proposals that parallel NIH or NSF submissions. All teams, regardless of funding, receive feedback on their proposals from a faculty review panel.
HCSP welcomes proposals from graduate students from all departments or schools at UT Austin as well as proposals focusing on any dimension of health communication (e.g., biological/physiological studies, interpersonal factors, patient-provider interactions, organizational contexts, health campaigns, etc.).
2023-2024 HCSP Details
HCSP Awards
The HCSP will be awarding selected proposals up to $2,500 for the 2023-2024 academic year. Dates and application materials have been updated throughout the website for this funding cycle.
TIMELINE FOR 2023-2024 HCSP CYCLE
October 27, 2023: Grant writing workshop
Friday, December 15, 2023: Student teams interested in participating submit a 1-page letter of intent.
Friday, February 9, 2024: Deadline for submission of proposals.
February 2024: A panel of faculty reviewers scores proposals and awardees are announced.
March 2024: Funded proposals begin their 1-year project.
2023-2024 Grant Writing Workshop
The 2023-2024 HCSP grant writing workshop was on Friday, October 27, 2023, from 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. CT.
If you missed this year's workshop or would like to watch the faculty presentations again, you can view the recording here.
| 10:00-10:10 | Welcome, Introductions, and Program Overview | René Dailey, Ph.D. (she/her) Department of Communication Studies HCSP Coordinator |
| 10:10-10:30 | Insights on Health Communication Research and Funding from the Founding HCSP Coordinator | Mike Mackert, Ph.D. (he/him) Stan Richards School of Advertising & Public Relations Director, Center for Health Communication |
| 10:30-11:15 | Grant Writing Tips Session #1 | Deena Kemp, Ph.D. (she/her) Stan Richards School of Advertising & Public Relations |
| 11:15-11:45 | Breakout Networking Session | |
| 11:45-12:30 | Grant Writing Tips Session #2 | David Ring, Ph.D. (he/him) Associate Dean for Comprehensive Care Department of Surgery and Perioperative Care Dell Medical School |
| 12:30-1:00 | Tips on submitting your own HCSP proposal | René Dailey, Ph.D. (she/her) Department of Communication Studies HCSP Coordinator |
2023-2024 Funded Proposals
The HCSP funded three proposals for the 2023-2024 academic year. Congratulations to these students on funding their exciting projects!
Applying Harm Reduction Model in Social Media for Improving Mental Health of Young Adults
Co-PI: Jee Yung Park (Advertising)
Co-PI: Sumin Lee (Sociology)
Faculty mentor: Matt Eastin (Advertising & Public Relations)
Exploring Young Women's Perceptions, Attitudes, and Awareness of the Menstrual Cycle and Health Risks Associated with Personal Care Products
Co-PI: Ashlee Bushee (Advertising)
Co-PI: Kristen Sinay (Nursing)
Co-PI: Soojeong Kim (Journalism and Media)
Faculty mentors: Kate Pounders (Advertising & Public Relations)
Enhancing Learning and Academic Wellbeing through AI: An Interdisciplinary, Longitudinal SEM Study
Co-PI: Fan Wang (Communication Studies)
Co-PI: Hakeoung Hannah Lee (Education
Co-PI: Yating Yang (Communication Studies)
Faculty mentors: Erin Donovan (Communication Studies)