The Illinois Innovation Network (IIN) has launched a new Social Innovation and Impact seed grant program, awarding nearly $60,000 to two research teams.
The funding, provided by the University of Illinois System, is designed to translate research into projects that directly affect lives, address critical social problems, and build trusted partnerships in communities across Illinois.
The funded projects will create a documentary about African American mothers on Chicago’s south side who have lost children to gun violence and open a program to train people to develop competitive funding proposals.
“These two projects approach social innovation and impact from very different angles, and they both are great examples of the goals of this new program,” U of I System Vice President for Economic Development and Innovation Jay Walsh said. “We know there are many outstanding partnerships and excellent ideas for collaborations between IIN researchers and communities across the state. We hope this seed funding can provide a boost for this work.”
IIN is a network of 15 hubs across the state working to boost Illinois’ economy through entrepreneurship, research and workforce development. Most are at public universities.
Proposals for seed grants were required to include researchers from at least one IIN hub and encouraged to include other hubs or community organizations. They also must be completed within one year of receiving funding. Proposals were evaluated on their alignment with IIN principles, how well they address their stated areas of social innovation and impact, the scope of their work and level of collaboration, as well as their potential for further work.
“I am thrilled by the launch of this new program that helps IIN researchers connect more deeply with communities across Illinois,” said IIN Executive Director Kyle Harfst. “These projects both show incredible promise and I look forward to seeing their impact.”
The two newly funded projects and the researchers behind them are:
What’s Left Behind? A Documentary About African American Mothers on the South Side of Chicago Who Have Lost Children to Gun Violence
Ruby Mendenhall, professor of sociology and African American studies, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC); Lisa Butler, CEO, herVoice Films, Inc.
Grant Development Capacity Building and Technical Assistance
Courtney Breckenridge, research fellow, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE); Diane Cox, director of grant development, SIUE; Maggie Ervin, specialist of alternative credentials and credit, SIUE; Natalie Whitman, coordinator of alternative credit and credentials, SIUE.
