Community Well-being Grants

The UCSF Well-being Committee created the Community Wellbeing Grant program as a way to support the health and well-being of our UCSF community. The program, created in 2021, awards grants to projects that promote health and well-being among one or more of our pillars of wellness: emotional, physical, social, financial, career, environmental and spiritual. Wellness provides funding and minimal project guidance while the applicants serve as the project leads.

Particular interest will be given to projects that can help us make strides in the following areas:

• Connecting to our pillars of wellness
• Creating a culture of wellness and supporting well-being at UCSF
• Promoting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at UCSF in a substantial and meaningful way

Information now available

Application information for FY 24 Community Wellbeing Grants is now available. The open application period will run Sept. 18-Oct. 6. All applications are due by 5 p.m. Oct. 6.
 
Visit the Community Well-being Grants portal to find out more information and submit your application.  
 
We are looking for project leads/teams with proposals that promote health and well-being among one or more of our pillars of wellness:

• Emotional
• Physical
• Social
• Financial
• Career
• Environmental
• Spiritual

Wellness Programs will provide funding and some minimal support for design and project assistance.
 
Grants are open to faculty, staff and learners from all UCSF campuses and affiliates. The total amount of funds available for this program this fiscal year is $100,000, which will be allocated to successful applicants for multiple projects.    
 
Please note: Community Well-being Grants are meant to fund projects that address well-being needs for large populations or cross-departmental groups within UCSF. If you have an idea for a program that is smaller and directed at a single department, please take a look at our Wellness Champions program.
 
As you plan your proposals, please keep in mind the following guidelines:

• All expenses must confirm to university policies and procedures.
• Eligible expenses include supplies, materials, equipment, services, food (meal expense limits) and incentives (employee gift policies, individual gift limits).
• Ineligible expenses include alcohol; payments and honorariums for UC faculty, staff or students; parking fees for UC faculty, staff or students; branded apparel/swag, gift cards for services (e.g., Door Dash, UberEats, Lyft Bike Share); cash gifts, except donations to charity as an expression of sympathy; recreation memberships; season tickets to events; and gifts provided to employees in connection with birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, holidays, farewells, graduations and other occasions of a personal nature.
• Vendors must be added into our BearBuy system. Human Resources Business Services (HRBS) will make all approved grant-related purchases.

Twenty proposals were selected to receive the FY 2023 Community Wellbeing Grant. Due to the inaugural year’s success, where nine projects were selected, the funding for this year increased by 66% to $100,000. Selected projects support staff, faculty, and learners at San Francisco, Oakland and Fresno locations.

2023 project details

Community, Organization, Allyship, Commitment, and Healing (COACHing) for Coaches

Andrea Marmor, MD, clinical professor, Department of Pediatrics  

UCSF School of Medicine Coaching Program will host a series of community and spirit-building events for UCSF School of Medicine coaches: physicians who serve as mentors for students. The goal will be to build a connection among the diverse community of over 60 coaches to promote both their well-being and their capacity to continue to share their coaching and communication skills with their students and colleagues in their clinical departments.  

Enhanced Stress Resilience for Critical Care Staff

Brian Cunningham, BSN, RN, CCRN-CSC, clinical nurse, Intensive Cardiac Care Unit

This project intends to improve the social and emotional well-being of adult critical care staff at UCSF Health by offering Enhanced Stress Resiliency Training, a type of mindfulness-based stress reduction.  

A Fun Day Away at Stow Lake

Cristina Brickman, MD MSCE, associate clinical professor of medicine, Infectious Diseases

The Infectious Diseases Division has designed a faculty development series comprised of workshops dedicated to well-being, career development, and DEI. The grant will build on this framework and allow them to incorporate retreats to further develop these topics.  

Creating Community: Building and Sustaining Wellness Among Graduate Students and Postdocs

D’Anne Duncan, PhD, assistant dean for diversity and learner success, Graduate Division

The Graduate Division and Student Health and Counseling Services will dedicate an afternoon to building and celebrating a community of care to promote mental health and wellness among UCSF graduate students, postdoctoral scholars, program administrators, and faculty.  

Dying to Talk: UCSF Heart Sounds

Dawn Gross, MD, PhD, attending physician, Palliative Care

A new podcast series, Dying to Talk: UCSF Heart Sounds, dedicated to promoting well-being and community at UCSF through conversations about the universally experienced moment in medical training: the first patient death as a doctor. The goal is to create a safe space to share stories, cultivate a culture of curiosity, self-compassion, and empathy.  

Improving the Sense of Belonging in Pharm Chem

Emma Gunderson, researcher & administrative officer, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry

The Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry will build upon the work of their DEI & Engagement committees by hosting two DEI engagement events and bringing in an outside speaker to facilitate DEI discussions at the lab, staff, and faculty levels. The goal of this work is to improve the sense of belonging in the department, with a focus on supporting the marginalized and historically excluded individuals in Pharm Chem.

Educate UCSF Employees on Reducing Toxic Chemical Exposure

Gail Lee, REHS, MS, HEM, director, Office of Sustainability  

This pilot aims to reduce cost barriers to adoption of the ReThink Plastic program recommendations for pregnant people and new parents. Participants will learn safe food storage and preparation alternatives that reduce exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs).  

Cultivating Connections: Experiential Learning for Personal, Institutional, and Community Wellness

Jarmin Yeh, PhD, MPH, MSSW, assistant professor, Institute for Health and Aging

This UCSF Institute for Health & Aging and Department of Social & Behavioral Sciences project involves a three-part series of experiential DEIA activities and will conclude with a collective gathering to reflect on learnings, social identities, and UCSF’s role as an anchor institution.

GAPIA: Woods and Wellness Retreat

Jazmin Valencia Chavez, student, School of Pharmacy

A camping retreat for the undocumented students at UCSF. The goal is to build a community and create a safe space to discuss issues affecting immigrant communities while connecting and grounding with nature.  

UCSF Bikes! Biking & Micromobility: Advancing Health and Sustainability

John Hamiga, analyst, UCSF Prevention Science

UCSF Bikes! and UCSF Transportation are enhancing Bike to Wherever Day (BtWD), the largest annual bike event held across the Bay Area. Through additional community outreach, faculty, staff, and students will experience more opportunities to learn more about biking and the cycling community.  

Connecting Staff to Wellness Pillars, Supporting Well-being, and Promoting DEI

Joshua Kamimoto, MBA, administrative manager, Pediatrics and Family & Community Medicine

Annual events will provide an opportunity for the UCSF Fresno School of Medicine staff to connect with like-minded staff to improve wellness in all seven Pillars of Wellness. Events will range from networking to connecting with leaders to engage in work that is meaningful to values, goals, and lifestyle

Genetics All Together – Towards a Connected Community at UCSF (GATTACA UCSF)

Joyce So, MD, PhD, associate professor of clinical pediatrics, School of Medicine

The Division of Medical Genetics will lead the GATTACA UCSF initiative to support wellness, inclusivity and community-building with and across the various genetic silos at UCSF, including cancer, prenatal and cardiovascular genetics, and the genetics and genomics labs.  

Visual Arts Educational Campaign on Microaggressions

Khary Dvorak-Ewell, community health program manager, UCSF Department of Psychiatry

The Microaggressions: Visual Arts Campaign and Panel Discussion will raise awareness about microaggressions and their negative impact on people and our collective work environment. The campaign and panel will validate the experiences of those facing microaggressions in the workplace and provide them channels of support; as well as provide everyone with a toolkit to help eliminate microaggressions in our workplace and everyday lives.  

Healing Arts for First-Generation Students

Naznin Jahan, graduate student, Biomedical Sciences  

This project aims to provide resources for first generation students to express themselves and reclaim their mental health and community spirit through guided art classes at UCSF.  

Meaningful Medicine Podcast

Nicole Hohenstien, MD, resident, Department of Emergency Medicine

Meaningful Medicine is an existing podcast by UCSF residents that highlights stories of healthcare professionals who have found a sense of meaning, resilience, and joy in their work. This podcast tackles numerous topics including compassionate care, burnout, microaggressions in medicine, humor in medicine, climate change, imposter syndrome, and much more.  

See Us Birth – Voices for Birth Justice Campaign

Solaire Spellen, associate director, California Preterm Birth Initiative, Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences

The Preterm Birth Initiative and Black Women’s Health and Livelihood Initiative will collaborate on See Us Birth, an installation of framed portraits of BIPOC families and individuals that are part of the birth justice movement. By using poetry and photos, the installations will build a supportive and engaging environment that promotes diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racism for the UCSF community and those they serve.

Healer’s Art Project

Sumi Sinha, MD, clinical instructor – Radiation Oncology

The UCSF Oncology Healer's Art Program will support reflection through art for early-career women in oncology at UCSF. Participants will engage in creation and appreciation of art during a four-part seminar series where they will be encouraged to foster connections through storytelling to further their professional and personal growth.

Afternoon at the Museum: Intergenerational Connectedness through Arts and Food

Tammy Duong, MD, associate clinical professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences

This event intends to foster an intergenerational social and emotional connection between UCSF learners, clinicians, and San Franciscan older adults. Participants will be able to experience the healing nature of art and share life stories, facilitating a sense of wellness and togetherness in the community.

Collaborative Career Advancement Network (C-CAN)

Tara Valcarcel, PNPMSN, pediatric nurse practitioner, Benioff Children’s Hospital

This proposal will offer support to any UCSF Health, Campus, or BCH Oakland employee who is interested in pursuing an Advanced Practice Provider (APP) career through mentorship, shadowing opportunities, interview coaching, networking, and panel discussions with existing UCSF APPs.  

Day of Restoration for Pediatric Social Work

Taryn Shappell, LCSW, chief clinical social worker, Benioff Children’s Hospital  

The Pediatric Social Work Department will have the opportunity to participate in a full-day, off-site Day of Restoration to connect with each other, learn new skills, and set the tone for self-care year-round.