DESIGN THINKING RESEARCH AWARD
Background AND PURPOSE
Established in 2005, the CCTST is a collaborative effort among the University of Cincinnati (UC), Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center (CCHMC), UC Health and the Cincinnati Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC). The CCTST is a research resource and “academic home” for clinical and translational scientists and programs, which in collaboration with the Live Well Collaborative (LWC) is sponsoring this grant opportunity. The LWC is a non-profit founded in 2007 by UC and Procter and Gamble (P&G). Its purpose is to specialize in research and development of products and services for Living Well across the lifespan, with an emphasis on America’s aging population. It is built around the open innovation model for moving translational research into the market place.
This grant opportunity provides partial support for a Studio project. Your team identifies a healthcare challenge and the LWC works with UC to form a design led team (comprised of both faculty and students). The team will utilize design thinking tools and a “co-creation” model with stakeholders (e.g. patients, parents, clinicians) to develop innovative products or services to address the healthcare challenge. The Studio structure facilitates development of ideas that are actionable and implementable. Your team walks away with experience in human centered design methodology that can be used to address future challenges and sustainable tools/prototypes that are ready for testing and iteration. The collaborative has a track record of completing 80 studio projects that have involved over 800 students and more than 40 UC faculty members.
DEFINITIONS
Design thinking is a problem-solving methodology grounded in a deep understanding of the needs and challenges, as well as the goals and aspirations, of the person or group that solutions are being designed for. On-going iteration and co-creation of solutions to ensure they are meeting intended objectives is a key part of the process.
Herbert Simon, Carnegie Mellon Professor and one of the most influential social scientists of the 20th century, defines design thinking as, “Devising courses of action aimed at changing existing situations into preferred ones.”
Studios are a semester (14-16 weeks) in duration and the purpose is to develop a new product or service prototype. All intellectual property developed during the project becomes the property of the project sponsor (CCHMC team).
Prototypes are initial samples/models of a product or service built to test a concept or a process.
Eligibility
Applications will be accepted from faculty/staff of Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center (CCHMC). Faculty/staff based at UC and VAMC can collaborate with CCHMC investigators and this is encouraged; however, the PI must be from CCHMC. Multidisciplinary teams are strongly encouraged. Applicants must be CCTST members. To join free of charge, click here.
Annual Award Limit
Applicants may only receive one award per calendar year.
Grants Available
Studios for services/product development: Grants provide an academic semester (14-16 weeks)of support. The maximum allowable grant is $10,000 for the 14-16 weeks. Studios range in cost from $35,000 to $80,000 depending on staffing levels of faculty, graduate, and co-op students and supplies needed to complete deliverables (i.e. costs will be driven by project complexity and scope). The final cost for the applicant’s studio will be mutually agreed upon by your team and LWC depending on the specific nature of the challenge. The applicant’s Division must agree to cost-share the remainder of the studio costs or the applicant can use grant funds for the remaining costs. The number of awardees will be determined by the quality of the proposals and available funds. Approximately 1 award will be available each semester.
PROCESS
The initial application for research proposals will consist of a 2 page Letter of Intent (LOI). The LOI will be screened for eligibility and to examine if the proposed research/quality improvement project supports the goals of CCTST Design Thinking Research Awards. The LOIs will be screened by an advisory committee consisting of LWC, CCTST and CCHMC members. Following the initial screening, selected investigators will be invited to submit a full application. There will be 3 opportunities annually for LOIs that will coincide with the semester schedule. The LOI submission dates will be posted below. Click here for the application and LOI details.
APPLICATION DETAILS
Spring Semester Deadlines
Letter of Intent (LOI): September 25, 2023
Invitation to Apply: October 2, 2023
Final Application: October 16, 2023
Notice of Award: October 30, 2023
Project Date: January 8 - April 26, 2024
Summer Semester Deadlines:
Letter of Intent (LOI): February 19, 2024
Invite to apply: February 2024
Final App: March 18, 2024
Notice of Award: April 15, 2024
Project date: May 6 - August 9, 2024
Past Awardees
Click here for a PDF of past projects, design challenges, studio outcomes, CCHMC staff, and contact information.
Click here for a PDF of the awardees list (2014-2017)
2018 Awardees:
Fall Semester Awardee:
Project Title: Advanced Cardiac Therapies Outcomes Network (ACTION), Pediatric Ventricular Assist Device (VAD) Educational Materials,
Awardee: Angela Lorts, MD, CCHMC Medical Director for Ventricular Assist Device Program, The Heart Institute
Spring Semester Awardee:
Project Title: Comprehensive Sibling Support: Empowering Siblings Changes Outcomes
Awardee: Kate Shamszad, CCHMC Clinical Director, Child Life and Integrative Care
2017 Awardees:
Fall Semester Awardee:
Project Title: Compassionate design: Improving space and processes associated with a child’s death
Awardee: Rachel Thienprayoon, MD, MSCS, Medical Director, StarShine Hospice, CCHMC
Summer Semester Awardee:
Project Title: Designing an Integrated Data Environment to enhance ouTcomes in Custody Youth (Designing IDENTITY)
Awardee: Sarah Beal, PhD, assistant professor, Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology, CCHMC
2016 Awardees:
Fall Semester Awardee:
Project Title: Optimization of Tailored Video Discharge Instructions for Acute Asthmatics
Awardee: Carolyn Kercsmar, MD, director, Asthma Center, CCHMC
Summer Semester Awardee:
Project Title: Pediatric Cardiac Surgery Parent-Provider Home Care Program Pilot Study
Awardee: Sandra L. Staveski, PhD, RN, APRN, CPNP-AC, nurse scientist, Heart Institute at CCHMC
2015 Awardees:
Fall Semester Awardee:
Project Title: STORM Clinical Decision Support Toolkit
Awardees: Lisa Shook, MA, CHES, assistant professor, Cancer and Blood Diseases Institute, CCHMC; Russell Ware, MD, PhD, director, Hematology, Cancer and Blood Diseases Institute, CCHMC
Spring Semester Awardees:
Project Title: Innovative Research and Product Development to Support Success in Healthcare for Transitioning Foster Youth
Awardee: Sarah Beal, PhD, assistant professor, Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology, CCHMC
Project Title: Cancer Center at the Liberty Campus / CBDI North Metropolitan Cancer Services
Awardee: John P. Parentesis, MD, FAAP, director, Oncology and Cancer Programs, CCHMC
2014 Awardees:
Fall Semester Awardees:
Project Title: Sickle Cell Trait—What about it?
Awardees: Charles Quinn, MD, MS, director, Hematological Clinical and Translational Research, CCHMC
Lisa Shook, MA, director, Newborn Screening, Cancer & Blood Disease Institute, CCHMC
Summer Semester Awardees:
Project Title: Development of a Novel Electronic Adherence Monitoring Device
Awardee: Kevin Hommel, PhD, associate professor, Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology, CCHMC
Project Title: Redesign of Primary Care Waiting Rooms as a Model for Community-Clinical Linkages
Awardee: Robert Kahn, MD, MPH, associate director, General and Community Pediatrics, CCHMC
Resources
Beyond Design Thinking: Design As Action (Pediatric Grand Rounds, Craig Vogel, president, LWC, January 26, 2016)
CCTST Grand Rounds on the Design Thinking Research Awards (May 2015)
