Newly Funded Research Accelerator Projects Blend Novelty with Impact

The Rollins School of Public Health has selected 16 research accelerator projects for funding as part of its ongoing commitment to advancing innovation and impact in scientific research. 

Awarded projects ask big questions, take new approaches, and map to themes represented by the school’s accelerator working groups: 

• Maternal health 
• Mental health
• Nutrition
• Exposomics
• Digital health and wearable technology
• Aging

Specific angles range from breast cancer in Black women to ultra-processed foods and Georgia’s maternal mortality rates.

“Part of what we hope these projects do is remind researchers why they’re excited about public health,” says Carmen Marsit, PhD, executive associate dean for faculty affairs and research strategy. 

To be selected, a project had to: 

• Show novelty 
• Have a collaborative team with representation across the school, university, or beyond 
• Map to one of the core themes represented by the accelerator working groups
• Bring forward an idea that the team could start on immediately
• Be something different from what the researchers were already doing 
• Focus on a current world problem needing urgent attention

At a time when research funding has been precarious, the accelerator projects provide an avenue for exploring new ideas, interventions, implementations, and funding possibilities. The funding for these projects was made possible by a recent gift from the O.Wayne Rollins Foundation. 

"It’s exciting to see the range of projects that are happening,” says Marsit. “These projects ask big questions and take new approaches. Some of these projects may have been harder to support through traditional mechanisms, so we're able to really push them forward.” 

The school’s commitment to supporting research—and the researchers behind that work—is part of its core mission and is an ongoing focus. In addition to the funded research accelerator projects, 28 faculty recently received recognition and support for their work as Endowed Faculty Scholars. This funding will allow Rollins faculty to continue essential work and push forward new and transformative projects.