Wednesday, February 18, 2026 2/18/2026

Environmental Health Investigators: Building STEM Interest to Promote Careers in the Health Sciences

Award Number: R25GM129818
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF GENERAL MEDICAL SCIENCES
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 07/01/2019
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 05/31/2025

Group Awards By:

View Award Description

Environmental Health Investigators: Building STEM Interest to Promote Careers in the Health Sciences - PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT Racial and ethnic minorities are underrepresented in the field of environmental health sciences, despite good job prospects and the need for diverse perspectives to ensure the well-being of all communities. Learning science in out-of-school (informal) settings is a promising approach to generate interest in science because students are able to work on community-based projects over an extended period, immersing themselves in the process of science while learning success skills for the workplace such as teamwork, problem-solving, and critical thinking. However, there are limited opportunities to learn about environmental health sciences and related careers, particularly for minority youth who live in areas of concentrated poverty. The long-term goal of this project is to understand how to best generate and sustain an interest in health sciences that ultimately alters students' education and career pathways. The central hypothesis is that middle school students will develop and sustain a strong interest in science if they 1) participate in authentic science in a real-world context, 2) engage with and understand relevant scientific content that connects to their community, 3) interact regularly with professional scientists, and 4) act as and be seen by others as scientists. Towards attaining the long-term goal, the overall objective of this project is to develop, implement, and study an out-of- school time program in which underserved middle school youth (ages 11-13) participate in authentic scientific investigations of environmental health sciences in their community and present their findings to their families, community members, and a broader audience. The rationale for the proposed project is that a project-based curriculum can increase science skills and career awareness and, after testing and refinement, be replicated with other populations. The objective of the project will be accomplished by three specific aims: (1) Develop a modular out-of-school curriculum in environmental health sciences that emphasizes student choice and place- based learning, (2) Implement the student program in communities of concentrated poverty in Madison County, Illinois through a partnership with local community organizations, and (3) Provide professional development for educators in community-based environmental health sciences. The proposed program is significant because it (a) generates new knowledge about science interest development, (b) provides a model for environmental health science education in low-income urban communities, and (c) creates portable curriculum units that formal and informal educators can adapt to their specific teaching contexts. The project is innovative because it (a) utilizes a novel combination of high-impact educational practices to reach the intended audience, (b) applies Environmental Photovoice methodologies with youth, (c) unites partner organizations that typically do not work together around the common goal of developing the scientific skills and health career interests of at-risk youth, and (d) uses student choice and community relevance as central tenets for curriculum design and programming.


Issue Date FY	Funding FY	Legal Entity Name	Legal Entity Address	Legal Entity City	Legal Entity State	Legal Entity Zip Code	Legal Entity COUNTY	Legal Entity COUNTRY	Assistance Listing	Award Code	Budget Year	Action Date	Action Type	Action Amount

Issue Date FY: 2026 ( Subtotal = -$6,311 )
2026	2023	BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF SOUTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY	#5 HAIRPIN DRIVE	EDWARDSVILLE	IL	62026	MADISON	USA	Biomedical Research and Research Training	000	5	1/16/2026	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	-$6,311
														Subtotal = -$6,311

Issue Date FY: 2023 ( Subtotal = $252,556 )
2023	2023	BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF SOUTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY	#5 HAIRPIN DRIVE	EDWARDSVILLE	IL	62026	MADISON	USA	Biomedical Research and Research Training	000	5	5/23/2023	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$252,556
														Subtotal = $252,556

Issue Date FY: 2022 ( Subtotal = $256,910 )
2022	2022	SOUTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY	30 CIR DR, SIUE CAMPUS	EDWARDSVILLE	IL	62026	MADISON	USA	Biomedical Research and Research Training	000	4	5/18/2022	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$256,910
														Subtotal = $256,910

Issue Date FY: 2021 ( Subtotal = $258,374 )
2021	2021	SOUTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY	30 CIR DR, SIUE CAMPUS	EDWARDSVILLE	IL	62026	MADISON	USA	Biomedical Research and Research Training	000	3	5/20/2021	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$258,374
														Subtotal = $258,374

Issue Date FY: 2020 ( Subtotal = $265,175 )
2020	2020	SOUTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY	30 CIR DR, SIUE CAMPUS	EDWARDSVILLE	IL	62026	MADISON	USA	Biomedical Research and Research Training	000	2	5/13/2020	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$265,175
														Subtotal = $265,175

Issue Date FY: 2019 ( Subtotal = $269,910 )
2019	2019	SOUTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY	30 CIR DR, SIUE CAMPUS	EDWARDSVILLE	IL	62026	MADISON	USA	Biomedical Research and Research Training	000	1	6/27/2019	NEW	$269,910
														Subtotal = $269,910

Grand Total All Awards = $1,296,614

Top

All Categories

About

Search

Reports

Data Submission

Award Information

Environmental Health Investigators: Building STEM Interest to Promote Careers in the Health Sciences

Award Number: R25GM129818

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF GENERAL MEDICAL SCIENCES

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 07/01/2019

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 05/31/2025

Federal Websites

Department of Health & Human Services

HHS Operating Divisions

HHS Staff Divisions

Download A Document Viewer