A knock at the door can mean more than a meal — it can be a lifeline. Across Hampton Roads and beyond, new collaborative research is asking what happens when care goes deeper, when data meets lived experience, when technology meets trust and when institutions come together to close the gaps that shape health outcomes every day.
That spirit of collaboration is at the heart of the ENRICHe (Research and Training Incubator for Collaboration in Health Equity) Grant, an internal seed funding opportunity designed for faculty at Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences at Old Dominion University and Norfolk State University (NSU).
The program, led by the Office of Community Health, Education & Training at Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences at Old Dominion University, powers innovative, cross-institutional partnerships and supports projects that address persistent health gaps in areas, such as cancer, mental health, stress and violence prevention.
“ENRICHe Grants are about more than funding research,” said Luisel Ricks-Santi, Ph.D., senior associate vice president of Community Health, Education & Training. “They’re about building meaningful partnerships that align expertise, community perspective and innovation to address the most pressing health challenges in our region.”
The ENRICHe Grant encourages a wide range of approaches, from data science and digital health tools to community-engaged research, workforce development and policy-focused interventions. Each project must include meaningful collaboration between Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences at ODU faculty and NSU faculty, as well as at least one trainee from each institution, ensuring that the next generation of health professionals is deeply involved in advancing health equity.
With funding of up to $50,000 per project for a maximum of two years, the program supports two selected initiatives each year. In addition to addressing urgent community needs, each project is designed to generate preliminary data that can strengthen future external grant applications.
The two projects selected for funding this year illustrate the impact of this work.
Facilitating Social Connection: Codesigning a Culturally Tailored Loneliness Intervention for Meals on Wheels Participants brings together principal investigator Michele Kekeh, Ph.D., clinical assistant professor in epidemiology, biostatistics and environmental health for the Joint School of Public Health at ODU, in partnership with NSU, and Audrey Douglas-Cooke, Ph.D., assistant professor of nursing and allied health at NSU, to reduce loneliness among homebound older adults served by Meals on Wheels Chesapeake. Using a community-based participatory research approach, the team is co-designing and piloting a culturally tailored, technology-enabled intervention that blends in-person and virtual companionship.
The intervention, supported by trained volunteers and tablet-based tools, aims to strengthen social connectedness and emotional well-being, while offering a scalable, community-driven model to address loneliness as a social determinant of health.
By meeting participants where they are, both physically and culturally, the project underscores the importance of designing solutions with communities, not just for them.
"Too often, our homebound older adults become invisible in the very communities they helped build,” said Dr. Kekeh. “This project is about restoring connection, dignity and presence. By partnering with Meals on Wheels Chesapeake and engaging seniors directly in the design of this intervention, we are honoring their lived experiences and ensuring that solutions reflect what truly matters to them. Our goal is simple but profound: to make sure no one in their silver years feels forgotten.”
Equally ambitious in scope, Syndemic Production of Health Disparities Among Adolescents in Public Housing is led by Sharon Alston, Ph.D., M.S.W., associate professor of social work at NSU, and Tracy Fu, Ph.D., professor of pediatrics at Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences Eastern Virginia Medical School at ODU. This multi-city, community-engaged study examines how overlapping risk factors shape health outcomes for adolescents living in public housing across Hampton Roads, Washington, D.C., New York City and Baltimore.
Using Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping alongside mixed-methods data collection, the project investigates how structural, social and environmental conditions interact to influence adolescent mental, behavioral and physical health. The findings will help generate critical preliminary data to support future extramural funding and guide the development of targeted interventions.
For Dr. Alston, the project also reflects the broader value of research funding that supports work in underserved communities.
“ENRICHe funding allows faculty members to engage in important research that addresses the most under-researched social welfare problems impacting the most socially vulnerable communities,” Dr. Alston said. “It allows faculty to develop their ideas and generate data to position us to secure funding from national and federal organizations. Through funded research, we can make considerable contributions to scientific literature. It is a win-win for us all.”
As the program continues to grow, so does its vision for the future.
“This work reflects what’s possible when we lead with collaboration and a shared commitment to health equity,” said Dr. Ricks-Santi. “The ideas sparked through ENRICHe Grants have the potential to grow far beyond these initial projects by shaping future research, strengthening communities and ultimately improving health outcomes for those who need it most.”
