UW Medicine’s Harborview Injury Prevention & Research Center (HIPRC) has received a $4.3 million grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to support research on opioid overdose prevention, adverse child experiences, school violence prevention, and older adult falls.
This five-year grant places UW HIPRC amongst 11 other Injury Control Research Centers (ICRCs) in the United States and distinguishes it as the only center in the West. The grant will support investigators to conduct research, training of new injury-prevention specialist, and community-guided impact on policies, programs, and public outreach.
“The UW HIPRC has a long-standing history of excellence in injury prevention research, education, and community outreach. We are very grateful to our community at the UW School of Medicine, Harborview Medical Center, and all of our state and community partners who have supported HIPRC in our mission to prevent injury and violence and provide equitable care after injury. The support from the CDC will allow us to enhance our efforts to engage with and prevent injuries in communities most impacted by injury and violence in the WWAMI region and across the country. With a focus on community-engaged research and training, this funding will also allow us to train the next generation of injury prevention researchers in community-engaged research strategies.”– said Dr. Megan Moore, the HIPRC’s interim director and Sidney Miller Endowed Associate Professor in Direct Practice at the University of Washington School of Social Work.”
The grant will fund research of four key research topics aimed at improving public health outcomes in communities most impacted by injuries and violence:
Project 1: “Increasing Access to Harm Reduction in Rural Primary Care to Prevent Overdose.”
Overdose Prevention in Rural Areas: This project focuses on developing a patient-centered harm reduction program for rural primary care settings. The goal is to increase access to life-saving strategies that prevent overdose deaths in rural communities.
Project 2: “Promoting Prevention and Resilience from Adverse Childhood Experiences in Tribal Communities Through Culturally Responsive Brief Behavioral Parent Training.”
Adverse Child Experiences (ACEs): In collaboration with the Lummi Tribal Health Center in Washington State, this project will create and test a culturally responsive parenting program for caregivers of American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) children. The program aims to prevent and build resilience against ACEs.
Project 3: “Promoting School Safety Through Community Collaboratives.”
Enhancing School Safety: This initiative involves a two-and-a-half-year pilot study across multiple school districts. The study will evaluate the effectiveness of a community-based strategy to improve student safety perceptions and reform school resource officer practices.
Project 4: “Cultural Adaption of Remotely Delivered Enhance Fitness for Falls Prevention Among Rural American Indian Older Adults.”
Fall Prevention for Rural AI/AN Adults: Recognizing the high rates of falls among rural American Indian/Alaska Native older adults, this project will adapt and test a remotely delivered exercise program. The goal is to reduce falls by implementing an evidence-based fitness program tailored to the needs of these communities.
The HIPRC was founded in 1985 with a mission to reduce the burden of injury through research, education and outreach. Partnerships between HIPRC and universities, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations have led to injury-prevention projects on car booster-seat use, distracted driving, bicycle-helmet use, window-fall prevention, and other topics.
The Injury Control Research Center (ICRC) program began in 1987 and has grown considerably since its inception. Typically, ICRCs are funded for five-year cycles through an externally reviewed, competitive process. To learn more, visit the Injury Control Research Center homepage.