Mildred Elizabeth Edmundson Research Grant

Mildred Elizabeth Edmundson Research Grant Program supports proposals of outstanding scientific merit addressing translational research of women's health issues. Proposals focusing on prevention and early detectionand are highly encouraged. All funded project teams are expected to gather preliminary data to submit competitive applications to external funding agencies, or to seek support from an outside organization (e.g. companies, foundations, etc.) for continuation of the research. Matching funds are encouraged. The program is in partnership with the Indiana Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute (CTSI).  

Awarded Proposals

2023

Multi-PI: 

Jennifer Brown, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Psychological Sciences
Department of Psychological Sciences

Lochner Marais, Ph.D.

Professor
Center for Development Support
University of the Free State, South Africa

Project title: “Development of a culturally-tailored, adolescent-driven dual protection intervention approach for South African adolescents.”    

Black South African adolescent girls experience health disparities related to both unintended pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections (STI) including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Our team, with funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, has previously employed Cultural Consensus Modeling with South African adolescent girls to examine cultural factors associated with dual protection methods (i.e., methods that prevent both unintended pregnancy and HIV/STI). To shift the current dominant school-based sexual health messaging to one that incorporates culturally-appropriate, highly effective dual protection strategies, the proposed study will adapt a nationally implemented school-delivered sexual health curriculum (love4life), using a youth-led Community Based Participatory Research (CBPR) approach. We will also evaluate potential barriers to the widespread implementation of the modified curriculum. This pilot study will produce the first culturally-adapted sexual health curriculum to focus on dual protection to reduce both unintended pregnancies and STIs/HIV among South African adolescent girls. The successful execution of our proposal will provide foundational pilot research for subsequent external funding applications to conduct a randomized clinical trial of the adapted school-delivered sexual health education intervention. If efficacious, the intervention has the potential to reduce both unintended pregnancies and STIs/HIV among South African adolescent girls.