Research to improve ultrasound should lead to better detection of birth defects in unborn babies

Researchers at King's College London have been awarded £10 million from the Wellcome Trust and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) to develop advanced ultrasound imaging technology to improve the detection of birth defects in unborn babies.

Prenatal diagnosis of birth defects is important as it has a direct impact on how the new-born is managed, enabling medical practitioners to make the necessary preparations, such as arranging to deliver the baby in a specialist unit with the equipment and expertise to treat their condition. It also enables the parents to receive counselling and meet the appropriate specialists, in order to make informed choices and prepare themselves mentally and emotionally for a potentially difficult period after birth.

Currently, screening for fetal abnormalities by ultrasound takes place at 12 weeks and 18-20 weeks. Although anatomical structures are developed by the time of the later scan, it can be difficult to obtain clear images, particularly in obese mothers or in cases with an unfavourable fetal position.

Whilst ultrasound is a powerful tool – it is inexpensive, safe and portable, and images are acquired in real-time – the diagnostic accuracy and sensitivity of ultrasound is limited. To use and interpret the scan requires extensive training and despite substantial investment in training this large workforce, many abnormalities remain undetected; for example, the national screening program only detects around a third of serious cardiac abnormalities, and the detection rate for hernias of the diaphragm is around 60 per cent. In addition there is substantial regional and hospital-specific variation in prenatal detection rates, so that in some areas the detection rates are substantially worst.

Professor Reza Razavi and colleagues at King's College London and King’s Health Partners Academic Health Sciences Centre have been awarded funding under the joint Wellcome Trust and EPSRC Innovative Engineering for Health scheme to develop a fully automated and computer-guided ultrasound system, allowing midwives to acquire three-dimensional images of the whole baby in much higher resolution than is currently possible. The team are also aiming to develop computer software that will be able to automatically analyse the images acquired. These techniques should substantially improve detection rates of congenital abnormalities.

Professor Razavi, who is Head of Imaging Sciences at King’s College London and Director of Research at King’s Health Partners, said: “Identifying birth defects at an early stage is essential both for medical professionals and for the parents themselves. Current ultrasound scans are relatively crude, and many serious abnormalities are not detected, leading to these babies becoming very ill soon after birth and substantial delay before a diagnosis is made and they can be transferred to a specialist centre for appropriate treatment.

“We are developing a radically new approach to fetal screening, largely removing the need for experts to acquire and interpret the images. It will allow the initial screening scans to be done in a few minutes, and provide a consistently higher detection rate for major abnormalities.”

In addition, the research team believe that the high quality 3D images produced of the placenta, amniotic fluid and fetus could be used across large population studies linked to genetic and environmental factors. This should greatly help the understanding of fetal and maternal health in conditions such as intra-uterine growth restriction and pre-eclampsia, as well as the study of some chronic diseases, that have origins in fetal life.

Dr Ted Bianco, Director of Technology Transfer at the Wellcome Trust, said: “This is an ambitious research project at the cutting edge of engineering in its application to health. If successful, it would greatly enhance the value of ultrasound for the care of mothers and their babies.”

Professor David Delpy, Chief Executive of EPSRC, said: “The role of innovative engineering and the physical sciences in providing new ways to diagnose and treat medical conditions is often underappreciated. EPSRC is proud to be working with the Wellcome Trust to support this research which will hopefully improve the detection of serious conditions in unborn children, enhance treatment and increase their chances of survival. This project is an example of how engineering developments can improve and save lives: what could be more important?”

Craig Brierley
Media Relations Manager
The Wellcome Trust
Tel: +44 (0)20 7611 7329

Jenny Gimpel
PR Manager (Health)
King’s College London
Tel: +44 (0)20 7848 4334

The Wellcome Trust is a global charitable foundation dedicated to achieving extraordinary improvements in human and animal health. It supports the brightest minds in biomedical research and the medical humanities. The Trust’s breadth of support includes public engagement, education and the application of research to improve health. It is independent of both political and commercial interests.

The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) is the UK's main agency for funding research in engineering and the physical sciences. EPSRC invests around £800 million a year in research and postgraduate training, to help the nation handle the next generation of technological change. The areas covered range from information technology to structural engineering, and mathematics to materials science. This research forms the basis for future economic development in the UK and improvements for everyone's health, lifestyle and culture. EPSRC works alongside other Research Councils with responsibility for other areas of research. The Research Councils work collectively on issues of common concern via Research Councils UK.

King's College London is one of the top 20 universities in the world (2013/14 QS World University Rankings) and the fourth oldest in England. It is The Sunday Times 'Best University for Graduate Employment 2012/13'. A research-led university based in the heart of London, King's has more than 25,000 students (of whom more than 10,000 are graduate students) from nearly 140 countries, and more than 6,500 employees. King's is in the second phase of a £1 billion redevelopment programme which is transforming its estate.

King’s Health Partners is one of only six Academic Health Sciences Centres (AHSCs) in England. It is a partnership between one of the world’s top 20 universities, King’s College London, with three internationally-renowned NHS foundation trusts – Guy’s and St Thomas’, King’s College Hospital and South London and Maudsley. Its aim is to create a centre where world-class research, education and clinical practice are brought together for the benefit of all its patients.

Reference: PN 21-14

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Research to improve ultrasound should lead to better detection of birth defects in unborn babies

Posted by maghestra No comments

Researchers at King's College London have been awarded £10 million from the Wellcome Trust and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) to develop advanced ultrasound imaging technology to improve the detection of birth defects in unborn babies.

Prenatal diagnosis of birth defects is important as it has a direct impact on how the new-born is managed, enabling medical practitioners to make the necessary preparations, such as arranging to deliver the baby in a specialist unit with the equipment and expertise to treat their condition. It also enables the parents to receive counselling and meet the appropriate specialists, in order to make informed choices and prepare themselves mentally and emotionally for a potentially difficult period after birth.

Currently, screening for fetal abnormalities by ultrasound takes place at 12 weeks and 18-20 weeks. Although anatomical structures are developed by the time of the later scan, it can be difficult to obtain clear images, particularly in obese mothers or in cases with an unfavourable fetal position.

Whilst ultrasound is a powerful tool – it is inexpensive, safe and portable, and images are acquired in real-time – the diagnostic accuracy and sensitivity of ultrasound is limited. To use and interpret the scan requires extensive training and despite substantial investment in training this large workforce, many abnormalities remain undetected; for example, the national screening program only detects around a third of serious cardiac abnormalities, and the detection rate for hernias of the diaphragm is around 60 per cent. In addition there is substantial regional and hospital-specific variation in prenatal detection rates, so that in some areas the detection rates are substantially worst.

Professor Reza Razavi and colleagues at King's College London and King’s Health Partners Academic Health Sciences Centre have been awarded funding under the joint Wellcome Trust and EPSRC Innovative Engineering for Health scheme to develop a fully automated and computer-guided ultrasound system, allowing midwives to acquire three-dimensional images of the whole baby in much higher resolution than is currently possible. The team are also aiming to develop computer software that will be able to automatically analyse the images acquired. These techniques should substantially improve detection rates of congenital abnormalities.

Professor Razavi, who is Head of Imaging Sciences at King’s College London and Director of Research at King’s Health Partners, said: “Identifying birth defects at an early stage is essential both for medical professionals and for the parents themselves. Current ultrasound scans are relatively crude, and many serious abnormalities are not detected, leading to these babies becoming very ill soon after birth and substantial delay before a diagnosis is made and they can be transferred to a specialist centre for appropriate treatment.

“We are developing a radically new approach to fetal screening, largely removing the need for experts to acquire and interpret the images. It will allow the initial screening scans to be done in a few minutes, and provide a consistently higher detection rate for major abnormalities.”

In addition, the research team believe that the high quality 3D images produced of the placenta, amniotic fluid and fetus could be used across large population studies linked to genetic and environmental factors. This should greatly help the understanding of fetal and maternal health in conditions such as intra-uterine growth restriction and pre-eclampsia, as well as the study of some chronic diseases, that have origins in fetal life.

Dr Ted Bianco, Director of Technology Transfer at the Wellcome Trust, said: “This is an ambitious research project at the cutting edge of engineering in its application to health. If successful, it would greatly enhance the value of ultrasound for the care of mothers and their babies.”

Professor David Delpy, Chief Executive of EPSRC, said: “The role of innovative engineering and the physical sciences in providing new ways to diagnose and treat medical conditions is often underappreciated. EPSRC is proud to be working with the Wellcome Trust to support this research which will hopefully improve the detection of serious conditions in unborn children, enhance treatment and increase their chances of survival. This project is an example of how engineering developments can improve and save lives: what could be more important?”

Craig Brierley
Media Relations Manager
The Wellcome Trust
Tel: +44 (0)20 7611 7329

Jenny Gimpel
PR Manager (Health)
King’s College London
Tel: +44 (0)20 7848 4334

The Wellcome Trust is a global charitable foundation dedicated to achieving extraordinary improvements in human and animal health. It supports the brightest minds in biomedical research and the medical humanities. The Trust’s breadth of support includes public engagement, education and the application of research to improve health. It is independent of both political and commercial interests.

The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) is the UK's main agency for funding research in engineering and the physical sciences. EPSRC invests around £800 million a year in research and postgraduate training, to help the nation handle the next generation of technological change. The areas covered range from information technology to structural engineering, and mathematics to materials science. This research forms the basis for future economic development in the UK and improvements for everyone's health, lifestyle and culture. EPSRC works alongside other Research Councils with responsibility for other areas of research. The Research Councils work collectively on issues of common concern via Research Councils UK.

King's College London is one of the top 20 universities in the world (2013/14 QS World University Rankings) and the fourth oldest in England. It is The Sunday Times 'Best University for Graduate Employment 2012/13'. A research-led university based in the heart of London, King's has more than 25,000 students (of whom more than 10,000 are graduate students) from nearly 140 countries, and more than 6,500 employees. King's is in the second phase of a £1 billion redevelopment programme which is transforming its estate.

King’s Health Partners is one of only six Academic Health Sciences Centres (AHSCs) in England. It is a partnership between one of the world’s top 20 universities, King’s College London, with three internationally-renowned NHS foundation trusts – Guy’s and St Thomas’, King’s College Hospital and South London and Maudsley. Its aim is to create a centre where world-class research, education and clinical practice are brought together for the benefit of all its patients.

Reference: PN 21-14

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Empowering Patients to Better Manage their Health Results in Improved Health and Health Care

Princeton, N.J.—The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) released a suite of materials—including a brief, videos, case studies, and more—to help health care professionals better engage patients to manage their own health and play a role in improving care delivery at the practice and system levels.
Research shows that patients who lack the skills and confidence to manage their own health care often require more of it and incur higher health care costs.
“Patients who are actively engaged in their own health care are more likely to stay healthy and manage their conditions," said Susan Mende, senior program officer at RWJF. "It is important for physicians and their teams to work with patients to ensure they have the knowledge and confidence necessary to take control of their own health—where most health decisions happen—outside of the examination room."
The RWJF package highlights how health care professionals across the country are engaging patients at all levels to improve care, from hosting disease self-management workshops to including patients on practice quality improvement teams.

“Patient engagement isn’t only about patients’ ability to engage in their own health or quality improvement projects,” said Jessica Osborne-Safsnes, project co-director of Aligning Forces Humboldt, Calif. “It’s also about how ready an organization is to work with patients on these projects.”

The materials also include a resource guide and interview with Safsnes and a colleague about their successful patient engagement efforts. The resources are part of the Aligning Forces for Quality "Quality Field Notes" series highlighting lessons learned by regional alliances of clinicians, patients, and payers to transform local health care and provide models for national reform.

To learn more about the Quality Field Notes series, visit http://rwjf.ws/1kayglB.

For more than 40 years the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has worked to improve the health and health care of all Americans. We are striving to build a national culture of health that will enable all Americans to live longer, healthier lives now and for generations to come.

For more information, visit www.rwjf.org. Follow the Foundation on Twitter www.rwjf.org/twitter or Facebook www.rwjf.org/facebook.

View the original article here

Empowering Patients to Better Manage their Health Results in Improved Health and Health Care

Posted by maghestra No comments

Princeton, N.J.—The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) released a suite of materials—including a brief, videos, case studies, and more—to help health care professionals better engage patients to manage their own health and play a role in improving care delivery at the practice and system levels.
Research shows that patients who lack the skills and confidence to manage their own health care often require more of it and incur higher health care costs.
“Patients who are actively engaged in their own health care are more likely to stay healthy and manage their conditions," said Susan Mende, senior program officer at RWJF. "It is important for physicians and their teams to work with patients to ensure they have the knowledge and confidence necessary to take control of their own health—where most health decisions happen—outside of the examination room."
The RWJF package highlights how health care professionals across the country are engaging patients at all levels to improve care, from hosting disease self-management workshops to including patients on practice quality improvement teams.

“Patient engagement isn’t only about patients’ ability to engage in their own health or quality improvement projects,” said Jessica Osborne-Safsnes, project co-director of Aligning Forces Humboldt, Calif. “It’s also about how ready an organization is to work with patients on these projects.”

The materials also include a resource guide and interview with Safsnes and a colleague about their successful patient engagement efforts. The resources are part of the Aligning Forces for Quality "Quality Field Notes" series highlighting lessons learned by regional alliances of clinicians, patients, and payers to transform local health care and provide models for national reform.

To learn more about the Quality Field Notes series, visit http://rwjf.ws/1kayglB.

For more than 40 years the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has worked to improve the health and health care of all Americans. We are striving to build a national culture of health that will enable all Americans to live longer, healthier lives now and for generations to come.

For more information, visit www.rwjf.org. Follow the Foundation on Twitter www.rwjf.org/twitter or Facebook www.rwjf.org/facebook.

View the original article here

Groundbreaking New Website Launches, Giving Public Access to Measures of Child Well-Being and Equity Throughout the United States

Waltham, Mass.–The Institute for Child, Youth and Family Policy (ICYFP) at Brandeis University’s Heller School for Social Policy and Management has launched a new online data and analysis tool, providing unprecedented insight into wellbeing and equity among the ever-more diverse child population in the United States.

The site, diversitydatakids.org, allows users to create customized profiles, rankings and maps that make data visual and digestible. It also features a neighborhood-level child opportunity index, the first of its kind, developed in partnership with the Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity at Ohio State University. This index allows users to view interactive maps of the opportunities that are available to children in their own neighborhoods; a story that is often strikingly different by race/ethnicity. In addition to providing this index and hundreds of standard data indicators broken down by race and ethnicity, this site generates unique, equity-focused indicators of known structural factors that influence disparities in healthy child development. It also allows users to drill down from the national level to smaller levels of geography such as metropolitan areas and school districts, and in some cases, down to the neighborhood level, providing pinpoint views of the often nuanced inequities present among children of various racial and ethnic groups.

“The U.S. child population is increasingly racially and ethnically diverse, but unfortunately not all children have the same opportunities for healthy development,” said Dolores Acevedo-Garcia, director of ICYFP and principal investigator of the diversitydatakids.org project. “Our future hinges on our ability to ensure equitable opportunities for children across all racial and ethnic groups to lead healthy, productive lives. We hope that our data will equip users to become more informed advocates for all children and especially for vulnerable children.”

The U.S. philanthropy community is increasingly focused on data that promotes child advocacy through a lens of racial and ethnic equity. This project was originally funded with longtime support from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, which also supported the development of diversitydatakids.org’s parent project (www.diversitydata.org), created in 2007.

“Diversitydatakids.org is an invaluable resource for all communities working on racial equity. Census and other data that tell the story of our nation’s children will help refine the strategies the racial healing and racial equity movements use to accomplish this important work,” said Dr. Gail C. Christopher, vice president of Program Strategy at the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. “We are proud of how this project has grown and evolved over the nine years of our partnership, and we are grateful for the tools it will continue to provide to foundation grantees in the years to come.”

The diversitydatakids.org project has also received support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), which has prioritized building an inclusive and equitable culture of health for all Americans. The RWJF Commission for a Healthier America has recently released recommendations to improve health through early childhood education, community development, and promoting health outside the medical system. The data that diversitydatakids.org provides is closely aligned with and will help monitor the Commissions’ health recommendations.

“We are working to build a culture of health for all Americans,” said Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, president and CEO of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, “a culture in which the health of our children is a matter of fact, not a matter of chance. The diversitydatakids.org project can be an indispensable tool in helping communities assess their health—and then take steps to improve it. RWJF is very proud to be able to support this big step forward for children and their health.”

The launch of diversitydatakids.org is accompanied by the release of two fact sheets demonstrating how data can contribute to a more robust narrative around diversity and racial equity for children. The site will continue to release fact sheets and other content, sharing insights and providing examples of how data can be used by site visitors at any level of expertise.

The site’s launch is the culmination of years of work at ICYFP on collecting the highest-quality data available on the U.S. child population and representing it in a way that tells a compelling story: child experiences in America vary drastically by race and ethnicity, often in ways that are systematically unfair and avoidable. The diversitydatakids.org team and ICYFP hope that the project will illuminate these issues for the public and provide a toolkit for other researchers, policymakers, and advocates to effect positive, lasting change for children in the United States.

For more information, visit www.diversitydatakids.org.

The Institute for Child, Youth and Family Policy (CYFP) The Institute for Child, Youth and Family Policy (ICYFP) is located at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University. The research team at ICYFP engages in both quantitative and qualitative research studies of children and families as well as the social policies that directly affect their wellbeing.

The mission of ICYFP is to conduct and disseminate policy-relevant research on the wellbeing, health and development of children and their families. ICYFP seeks to understand the causes of inequities in children’s ability to achieve health and to offer program and policy solutions to alleviate these inequities. Research at ICYFP is strongly focused on understanding and quantifying disparities among children and their families by race/ethnicity, immigrant status, socioeconomic status, or disability status as they manifest themselves in opportunities for good health, education, and financial stability.

The W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF), founded in 1930 as an independent, private foundation by breakfast cereal pioneer, Will Keith Kellogg, is among the largest philanthropic foundations in the United States. Guided by the belief that all children should have an equal opportunity to thrive, WKKF works with communities to create the conditions where vulnerable children can realize their full potential in school, work and life.

The Kellogg Foundation is based in Battle Creek, Mich., and works throughout the United States and internationally, as well as with sovereign tribes. Special emphasis is paid to priority places where there are high concentrations of poverty and where children face significant barriers to success. WKKF priority places in the U.S. are in Michigan, Mississippi, New Mexico and New Orleans; and internationally, are in Mexico and Haiti. For more information, visit www.wkkf.org.

View the original article here

Groundbreaking New Website Launches, Giving Public Access to Measures of Child Well-Being and Equity Throughout the United States

Posted by maghestra No comments

Waltham, Mass.–The Institute for Child, Youth and Family Policy (ICYFP) at Brandeis University’s Heller School for Social Policy and Management has launched a new online data and analysis tool, providing unprecedented insight into wellbeing and equity among the ever-more diverse child population in the United States.

The site, diversitydatakids.org, allows users to create customized profiles, rankings and maps that make data visual and digestible. It also features a neighborhood-level child opportunity index, the first of its kind, developed in partnership with the Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity at Ohio State University. This index allows users to view interactive maps of the opportunities that are available to children in their own neighborhoods; a story that is often strikingly different by race/ethnicity. In addition to providing this index and hundreds of standard data indicators broken down by race and ethnicity, this site generates unique, equity-focused indicators of known structural factors that influence disparities in healthy child development. It also allows users to drill down from the national level to smaller levels of geography such as metropolitan areas and school districts, and in some cases, down to the neighborhood level, providing pinpoint views of the often nuanced inequities present among children of various racial and ethnic groups.

“The U.S. child population is increasingly racially and ethnically diverse, but unfortunately not all children have the same opportunities for healthy development,” said Dolores Acevedo-Garcia, director of ICYFP and principal investigator of the diversitydatakids.org project. “Our future hinges on our ability to ensure equitable opportunities for children across all racial and ethnic groups to lead healthy, productive lives. We hope that our data will equip users to become more informed advocates for all children and especially for vulnerable children.”

The U.S. philanthropy community is increasingly focused on data that promotes child advocacy through a lens of racial and ethnic equity. This project was originally funded with longtime support from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, which also supported the development of diversitydatakids.org’s parent project (www.diversitydata.org), created in 2007.

“Diversitydatakids.org is an invaluable resource for all communities working on racial equity. Census and other data that tell the story of our nation’s children will help refine the strategies the racial healing and racial equity movements use to accomplish this important work,” said Dr. Gail C. Christopher, vice president of Program Strategy at the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. “We are proud of how this project has grown and evolved over the nine years of our partnership, and we are grateful for the tools it will continue to provide to foundation grantees in the years to come.”

The diversitydatakids.org project has also received support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), which has prioritized building an inclusive and equitable culture of health for all Americans. The RWJF Commission for a Healthier America has recently released recommendations to improve health through early childhood education, community development, and promoting health outside the medical system. The data that diversitydatakids.org provides is closely aligned with and will help monitor the Commissions’ health recommendations.

“We are working to build a culture of health for all Americans,” said Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, president and CEO of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, “a culture in which the health of our children is a matter of fact, not a matter of chance. The diversitydatakids.org project can be an indispensable tool in helping communities assess their health—and then take steps to improve it. RWJF is very proud to be able to support this big step forward for children and their health.”

The launch of diversitydatakids.org is accompanied by the release of two fact sheets demonstrating how data can contribute to a more robust narrative around diversity and racial equity for children. The site will continue to release fact sheets and other content, sharing insights and providing examples of how data can be used by site visitors at any level of expertise.

The site’s launch is the culmination of years of work at ICYFP on collecting the highest-quality data available on the U.S. child population and representing it in a way that tells a compelling story: child experiences in America vary drastically by race and ethnicity, often in ways that are systematically unfair and avoidable. The diversitydatakids.org team and ICYFP hope that the project will illuminate these issues for the public and provide a toolkit for other researchers, policymakers, and advocates to effect positive, lasting change for children in the United States.

For more information, visit www.diversitydatakids.org.

The Institute for Child, Youth and Family Policy (CYFP) The Institute for Child, Youth and Family Policy (ICYFP) is located at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University. The research team at ICYFP engages in both quantitative and qualitative research studies of children and families as well as the social policies that directly affect their wellbeing.

The mission of ICYFP is to conduct and disseminate policy-relevant research on the wellbeing, health and development of children and their families. ICYFP seeks to understand the causes of inequities in children’s ability to achieve health and to offer program and policy solutions to alleviate these inequities. Research at ICYFP is strongly focused on understanding and quantifying disparities among children and their families by race/ethnicity, immigrant status, socioeconomic status, or disability status as they manifest themselves in opportunities for good health, education, and financial stability.

The W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF), founded in 1930 as an independent, private foundation by breakfast cereal pioneer, Will Keith Kellogg, is among the largest philanthropic foundations in the United States. Guided by the belief that all children should have an equal opportunity to thrive, WKKF works with communities to create the conditions where vulnerable children can realize their full potential in school, work and life.

The Kellogg Foundation is based in Battle Creek, Mich., and works throughout the United States and internationally, as well as with sovereign tribes. Special emphasis is paid to priority places where there are high concentrations of poverty and where children face significant barriers to success. WKKF priority places in the U.S. are in Michigan, Mississippi, New Mexico and New Orleans; and internationally, are in Mexico and Haiti. For more information, visit www.wkkf.org.

View the original article here

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Funds New Healthy People 2020 Law and Health Policy Project Through CDC Foundation

Atlanta, Ga.—Great strides have been made to improve public health over the past century, such as the reduction over the past 50 years in the number of Americans smoking. Many of those great strides were bolstered by providing individuals with the information needed to make informed health decisions. With $1.6 million in funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the CDC Foundation is launching a new project that will use the best available data to inform and advance discussion about how laws and policies can assist people in making healthier choices.

Subject matter experts will work with federal partners to develop 10 to 15 evidence-based reports during the next three years to highlight the state of laws and policies related to specific topic areas within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Healthy People 2020 initiative. This effort will provide critically needed practical information to public health officials and associations, health-related industries, legal practitioners, non-profit organizations, policy-makers, and individuals about the use of law and policy to address health factors. Within HHS, the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP) is leading the effort with support from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

“HHS is delighted to launch this Healthy People 2020 Law and Health Policy Project with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and CDC Foundation,” said HHS Assistant Secretary for Health Howard K. Koh, MD, MPH. “It will leverage the rich history and power of Healthy People 2020 to demonstrate how laws and evidence-based health policy can improve the health of our nation.”

HHS’ Healthy People 2020 is a set of goals and objectives with 10-year targets designed to guide national health promotion and disease prevention efforts aimed at improving the health of all people in the United States. Healthy People 2020 serves as a strategic management tool for the federal government, states, communities and many other public- and private-sector partners.

“To protect and improve health, law and policy evidence are crucial,” said CDC Director Tom Frieden, MD, MPH. “Projects such as this will go a long way to help get us to our destination of a more healthy nation faster.”

ODPHP will provide leadership and support for the development of the reports, while CDC will provide technical guidance on the development of specific reports and collaborate with public health partners and communities to promote knowledge and understanding of the reports. In addition to funding the effort, RWJF will provide public health law and policy expertise. The CDC Foundation will manage administration and implementation of the project and amplify the results to stakeholders through communications efforts.

“The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation believes that law and policy are important levers for building a culture of health in our nation,” said Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, MD, president and CEO of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. “We’re pleased to collaborate with leaders in public health and government to focus attention on policies based on the best science to help achieve the national health goals set out in Healthy People 2020—strategies that all states and communities can use to help people live healthier lives.”

“We greatly appreciate the support the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is providing to increase understanding around the link between policy and healthier outcomes,” said Charles Stokes, president and CEO of the CDC Foundation. “Public health law and policy can serve as valuable tools with wide-reaching benefits for everyone that can often decrease the need for other more costly and less effective interventions.”

View the original article here

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Funds New Healthy People 2020 Law and Health Policy Project Through CDC Foundation

Posted by maghestra No comments

Atlanta, Ga.—Great strides have been made to improve public health over the past century, such as the reduction over the past 50 years in the number of Americans smoking. Many of those great strides were bolstered by providing individuals with the information needed to make informed health decisions. With $1.6 million in funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the CDC Foundation is launching a new project that will use the best available data to inform and advance discussion about how laws and policies can assist people in making healthier choices.

Subject matter experts will work with federal partners to develop 10 to 15 evidence-based reports during the next three years to highlight the state of laws and policies related to specific topic areas within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Healthy People 2020 initiative. This effort will provide critically needed practical information to public health officials and associations, health-related industries, legal practitioners, non-profit organizations, policy-makers, and individuals about the use of law and policy to address health factors. Within HHS, the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP) is leading the effort with support from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

“HHS is delighted to launch this Healthy People 2020 Law and Health Policy Project with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and CDC Foundation,” said HHS Assistant Secretary for Health Howard K. Koh, MD, MPH. “It will leverage the rich history and power of Healthy People 2020 to demonstrate how laws and evidence-based health policy can improve the health of our nation.”

HHS’ Healthy People 2020 is a set of goals and objectives with 10-year targets designed to guide national health promotion and disease prevention efforts aimed at improving the health of all people in the United States. Healthy People 2020 serves as a strategic management tool for the federal government, states, communities and many other public- and private-sector partners.

“To protect and improve health, law and policy evidence are crucial,” said CDC Director Tom Frieden, MD, MPH. “Projects such as this will go a long way to help get us to our destination of a more healthy nation faster.”

ODPHP will provide leadership and support for the development of the reports, while CDC will provide technical guidance on the development of specific reports and collaborate with public health partners and communities to promote knowledge and understanding of the reports. In addition to funding the effort, RWJF will provide public health law and policy expertise. The CDC Foundation will manage administration and implementation of the project and amplify the results to stakeholders through communications efforts.

“The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation believes that law and policy are important levers for building a culture of health in our nation,” said Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, MD, president and CEO of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. “We’re pleased to collaborate with leaders in public health and government to focus attention on policies based on the best science to help achieve the national health goals set out in Healthy People 2020—strategies that all states and communities can use to help people live healthier lives.”

“We greatly appreciate the support the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is providing to increase understanding around the link between policy and healthier outcomes,” said Charles Stokes, president and CEO of the CDC Foundation. “Public health law and policy can serve as valuable tools with wide-reaching benefits for everyone that can often decrease the need for other more costly and less effective interventions.”

View the original article here

Ten Leading Foundations Join Forces to Expand Opportunity For Young Men of Color

Washington, D.C.—Today 10 of America's leading foundations announced a joint effort with the White House to help America's young men of color reach their full potential in school, work and life. The foundations are the Annie E. Casey Foundation, The Atlantic Philanthropies, Bloomberg Philanthropies, The California Endowment, Ford Foundation, Kapor Center for Social Impact, John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, Open Society Foundations, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and W.K. Kellogg Foundation.

In response to the urgent need for solutions, there has been a growing wave of investments to eliminate these barriers and help boys and young men of color connect to opportunity in communities nationwide. The ten foundations have recently approved or awarded $150 million to improve lifelong outcomes for boys and young men of color as part of their existing programming. Those foundations will seek to invest at least $200 million more, alongside additional investments from their peers in philanthropy and the business community.

“All of our sons and brothers need support and opportunities to be successful.  As tomorrow's leaders, young people of color will help define America's future,” said Robert K. Ross, MD, president and CEO of The California Endowment. “Now is the time to work together, invest in these young people and provide them what they need to be responsible and healthy adults.”

Why Young Men of Color

A growing body of research has shown that young men of color face significant barriers that make their path to adulthood especially challenging. They are more likely to grow up in poverty, live in neighborhoods where they are exposed to violence, or attend schools that lack the basic resources that kids need in order to succeed, and they are less likely to have summer job opportunities where they can learn the value of work. As a result of these interlocking trends, young men of color are more likely to drop out of school, grow up to be chronically unemployed, and live shorter, less healthy lives.  

“Now is the opportunity for expanding the field and addressing the policies to help remove the barriers to success for young men of color,” said La June Montgomery Tabron, president and CEO of the W. K. Kellogg Foundation.

“When every member of our society has the opportunity to succeed, our communities are stronger and our nation is stronger,” added Kenneth H. Zimmerman, director of U.S. Programs for the Open Society Foundations. “We all have a stake in tapping the potential of young men of color, and we must work together to create more pathways for them to flourish.”

A Growing Movement

The announcement is the latest milestone in a growing movement to ensure that all young people, including young men of color, have opportunities to achieve and contribute to the American dream. Last year, the CEOs of 28 foundations formed the Executives’ Alliance to Expand Opportunities for Boys and Men of Color, pledging to address these issues, explore promising strategies, and support research to inform effective action. This new initiative aims to link and leverage those investments and commitments—and attract new partners—by making it easier for public and private sector parties to collaborate and spread solutions that work.  

Cities, states, and school districts around the country have also responded with initiatives of their own, often focusing on better ways to help more young men of color stay on track in school, find opportunities to work, and make healthier life choices. President Obama’s decision to establish a federal task force adds even more momentum and national leadership to a cause vital to America’s future.

“Many men of color are already working to make their communities better by helping young people reach their full potential,” explained Alberto Ibargüen, president of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. “They are truly assets to any community, and one of the best ways to help young men succeed is to invest in, connect, and celebrate these grassroots leaders who are already making a difference.”

How the New Initiative Will Work

In addition to ongoing ($150 million) and new ($200 million) investments in programs that help young men of color succeed, the ten foundations are also each committing $750,000 to build the infrastructure to undergird a more lasting multi-sector initiative. This initial funding will help to find and rapidly spread solutions in areas such as early child development and school readiness, parenting and parent engagement, third grade literacy, educational opportunity and school discipline reform, interactions with the criminal justice system, ladders to jobs and economic opportunity, and healthy families and communities. The initiative will also endeavor to change the often-damaging narrative about boys and young men of color, and to promote effective public policy solutions. 

Over the next 90 days, the foundations will assess which approaches have the highest potential to help the greatest number of young men. Those insights will be used to develop a blueprint for action that can leverage existing and new contributions from philanthropy, nonprofit organizations, faith-based institutions, the business community and ordinary citizens. 

“As a father of three sons and grandfather of one, I understand the need for all boys and young men to have opportunities so they can grow to become successful and healthy,” said Arthur Blank, owner of the Atlanta Falcons and co-founder of The Home Depot. “As a businessperson, it just makes sense that we invest where it matters most: in our future workforce, communities and country.”

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Ten Leading Foundations Join Forces to Expand Opportunity For Young Men of Color

Posted by maghestra No comments

Washington, D.C.—Today 10 of America's leading foundations announced a joint effort with the White House to help America's young men of color reach their full potential in school, work and life. The foundations are the Annie E. Casey Foundation, The Atlantic Philanthropies, Bloomberg Philanthropies, The California Endowment, Ford Foundation, Kapor Center for Social Impact, John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, Open Society Foundations, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and W.K. Kellogg Foundation.

In response to the urgent need for solutions, there has been a growing wave of investments to eliminate these barriers and help boys and young men of color connect to opportunity in communities nationwide. The ten foundations have recently approved or awarded $150 million to improve lifelong outcomes for boys and young men of color as part of their existing programming. Those foundations will seek to invest at least $200 million more, alongside additional investments from their peers in philanthropy and the business community.

“All of our sons and brothers need support and opportunities to be successful.  As tomorrow's leaders, young people of color will help define America's future,” said Robert K. Ross, MD, president and CEO of The California Endowment. “Now is the time to work together, invest in these young people and provide them what they need to be responsible and healthy adults.”

Why Young Men of Color

A growing body of research has shown that young men of color face significant barriers that make their path to adulthood especially challenging. They are more likely to grow up in poverty, live in neighborhoods where they are exposed to violence, or attend schools that lack the basic resources that kids need in order to succeed, and they are less likely to have summer job opportunities where they can learn the value of work. As a result of these interlocking trends, young men of color are more likely to drop out of school, grow up to be chronically unemployed, and live shorter, less healthy lives.  

“Now is the opportunity for expanding the field and addressing the policies to help remove the barriers to success for young men of color,” said La June Montgomery Tabron, president and CEO of the W. K. Kellogg Foundation.

“When every member of our society has the opportunity to succeed, our communities are stronger and our nation is stronger,” added Kenneth H. Zimmerman, director of U.S. Programs for the Open Society Foundations. “We all have a stake in tapping the potential of young men of color, and we must work together to create more pathways for them to flourish.”

A Growing Movement

The announcement is the latest milestone in a growing movement to ensure that all young people, including young men of color, have opportunities to achieve and contribute to the American dream. Last year, the CEOs of 28 foundations formed the Executives’ Alliance to Expand Opportunities for Boys and Men of Color, pledging to address these issues, explore promising strategies, and support research to inform effective action. This new initiative aims to link and leverage those investments and commitments—and attract new partners—by making it easier for public and private sector parties to collaborate and spread solutions that work.  

Cities, states, and school districts around the country have also responded with initiatives of their own, often focusing on better ways to help more young men of color stay on track in school, find opportunities to work, and make healthier life choices. President Obama’s decision to establish a federal task force adds even more momentum and national leadership to a cause vital to America’s future.

“Many men of color are already working to make their communities better by helping young people reach their full potential,” explained Alberto Ibargüen, president of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. “They are truly assets to any community, and one of the best ways to help young men succeed is to invest in, connect, and celebrate these grassroots leaders who are already making a difference.”

How the New Initiative Will Work

In addition to ongoing ($150 million) and new ($200 million) investments in programs that help young men of color succeed, the ten foundations are also each committing $750,000 to build the infrastructure to undergird a more lasting multi-sector initiative. This initial funding will help to find and rapidly spread solutions in areas such as early child development and school readiness, parenting and parent engagement, third grade literacy, educational opportunity and school discipline reform, interactions with the criminal justice system, ladders to jobs and economic opportunity, and healthy families and communities. The initiative will also endeavor to change the often-damaging narrative about boys and young men of color, and to promote effective public policy solutions. 

Over the next 90 days, the foundations will assess which approaches have the highest potential to help the greatest number of young men. Those insights will be used to develop a blueprint for action that can leverage existing and new contributions from philanthropy, nonprofit organizations, faith-based institutions, the business community and ordinary citizens. 

“As a father of three sons and grandfather of one, I understand the need for all boys and young men to have opportunities so they can grow to become successful and healthy,” said Arthur Blank, owner of the Atlanta Falcons and co-founder of The Home Depot. “As a businessperson, it just makes sense that we invest where it matters most: in our future workforce, communities and country.”

View the original article here

New Report Finds People Willing to Share Personal Health Data with Researchers, Companies

San Diego—A new report from the California Institute for Telecommunications and Information Technology (Calit2), supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, suggests that  many people who track health-related data with wearable devices and smartphone apps are interested in sharing that data with researchers in medical and public health—provided adequate privacy controls exist.

The report, titled “Personal Data for the Public Good: New Opportunities to Enrich Understanding of Individual and Population Health,” also indicates that a large number of researchers are eager to access and use self-tracking data to fill in gaps in more traditional clinical data collection, although doing so will require new research methodologies and business models for companies which deal in such data.
The report was prepared by the Health Data Exploration project at Calit2 using a convenience sample of individuals and researchers who are already generating or using digital self-tracking data. Among survey respondents, the five most common health conditions tracked were exercise, diet, weight, athletic activity and sleep.

“Behavioral research has always depended on observations made in the laboratory or the clinic,” said Robert Kaplan, a member of the Health Data Exploration Advisory Board and associate director for Behavioral and Social Sciences at the National Institutes of Health. “Now we can bring the laboratory to the person in his or her own environment. This greatly enhances the opportunity to learn about the determinants of behavior in the natural environments of everyday life.”

The Health Data Exploration project, which is funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, is exploring how to bridge the “worlds” of health researchers, the set of mostly private and often small technology companies that hold these data, and individuals who may want to donate their own health or medical data.
“We are encouraged to discover a willingness of a large number of behavioral and social scientists to partner with data scientists to delve into the depths of consumer-generated data,” said Lori Melichar, senior program officer at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. “We are hopeful that we will be able to facilitate mutually beneficial partnerships between companies and researchers that can produce new insights into perplexing health challenges.”

Among individuals surveyed, the dominant condition (57%) for making their personal health data available for research was an assurance of privacy for their data, and over 90 percent of respondents said that it was important that the data be anonymous. On the whole, survey participants said they would be more likely to share their data if they knew that it would only be used for public good research.
“We have known for a long time that altruism is a big reason why individuals participate in research studies that contribute to the common wealth, notably by evaluating new pharmaceuticals or medical devices,” said Dr. Kevin Patrick, a professor of Family and Preventive Medicine in the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and a lead author of the report with Qualcomm Institute Chief of Staff Jerry Sheehan.
 “It's reassuring to see this same attitude applied to these new forms of health data.”

Forty-six percent of the researchers interviewed for the report have already used self-tracking data in their research, and 23 percent have already collaborated with application, device or social media companies. These findings expand on a series of reports that have emerged in the past few years from the Pew 

 Patrick cautions, however, that from a research standpoint, the increasing volume of self-tracked data across large groups of people—for example people who use Fitbit™ to track their physical activity—raises entirely new methodological issues for researchers. “The amount of data captured by these devices and apps dwarfs anything that we have ever had before. New computational and analytical strategies will need to be applied that have not commonly been used in health-related research,” he said.
In addition to the challenges of dealing with the complexity of more data, Patrick says that researchers and bio-ethicists also need to consider carefully the appropriate ethical model for assessing the rights and responsibilities of individuals who are sharing their personal data. These considerations, which require additional qualitative research to better understand the expectations for privacy for personal health data, will help guide future policy considerations regarding informed consent.
Geoffrey C. Bowker, a professor in the Department of Informatics at UC Irvine and a founding member of the social science Big Data Council, concurs.

“The emergent field of the Quantified Self (QS) holds the possibility of transforming the generation and deployment of data about ourselves—and thereby of informing the generation of medical knowledge. Understanding how and why people use QS and how changing attitudes to privacy affect QS data is a core task for social scientists in this domain working with both design and policy communities.”
Opportunities and obstacles for using personal health data also exist from a business perspective. Through a series of interviews, the report found that although companies which deal in such data consider advancing research a worthy goal—especially if that research validates the utility of their device or application—their primary business concern is maintaining their customer relationships. A number of companies interviewed were open to data sharing with academics, but noted the slow pace and administrative burden of working with universities as a challenge.

Companies are already emerging to meet that challenge, according to the report. San Diego-based Small Steps Labs has developed a software platform called Fitabase that collects data from Internet-connected consumer devices and allows anyone—including researchers—to aggregate, analyze and export data gathered from people wearing the devices.

“You could say my entire company and product exist because of these new friendly consumer wearable sensors like the Fitbit,” said Fitabase CEO and Founder Aaron Coleman. “People are (rightfully so) skeptical of health tools that are one-size-fits-all and don't attempt to understand them. Greater access to data helps us make more relevant tools that fit the lifestyle of the person who is engaging our tools to better their health.” Prior to founding Fitabase, the UC San Diego alumnus (B.S. ’06) led a software development team in Calit2’s Center for Wireless and Population Health Systems, which designed several systems and platforms used for health related research.

We conducted surveys to understand attitudes and experiences with self-tracking data for both individuals and researchers. The individual survey was taken by 465 participants. The researcher survey was taken by 134 participants. At the end of the surveys for individuals and researchers, we asked participants if they would be willing to be contacted to participate in follow-up interviews. We interviewed 11 individuals and 9 researchers. We also interviewed 15 companies/key informants.

It is important to note the inherent bias of respondents in a convenience sample, particularly as our goal was to access individuals and researchers who are already generating or using digital self-tracking data. Further, participants tended to have more education and higher household incomes than the general population. Our survey also drew slightly more white and Asian participants and more female participants than in the general population.

View the original article here

New Report Finds People Willing to Share Personal Health Data with Researchers, Companies

Posted by maghestra No comments

San Diego—A new report from the California Institute for Telecommunications and Information Technology (Calit2), supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, suggests that  many people who track health-related data with wearable devices and smartphone apps are interested in sharing that data with researchers in medical and public health—provided adequate privacy controls exist.

The report, titled “Personal Data for the Public Good: New Opportunities to Enrich Understanding of Individual and Population Health,” also indicates that a large number of researchers are eager to access and use self-tracking data to fill in gaps in more traditional clinical data collection, although doing so will require new research methodologies and business models for companies which deal in such data.
The report was prepared by the Health Data Exploration project at Calit2 using a convenience sample of individuals and researchers who are already generating or using digital self-tracking data. Among survey respondents, the five most common health conditions tracked were exercise, diet, weight, athletic activity and sleep.

“Behavioral research has always depended on observations made in the laboratory or the clinic,” said Robert Kaplan, a member of the Health Data Exploration Advisory Board and associate director for Behavioral and Social Sciences at the National Institutes of Health. “Now we can bring the laboratory to the person in his or her own environment. This greatly enhances the opportunity to learn about the determinants of behavior in the natural environments of everyday life.”

The Health Data Exploration project, which is funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, is exploring how to bridge the “worlds” of health researchers, the set of mostly private and often small technology companies that hold these data, and individuals who may want to donate their own health or medical data.
“We are encouraged to discover a willingness of a large number of behavioral and social scientists to partner with data scientists to delve into the depths of consumer-generated data,” said Lori Melichar, senior program officer at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. “We are hopeful that we will be able to facilitate mutually beneficial partnerships between companies and researchers that can produce new insights into perplexing health challenges.”

Among individuals surveyed, the dominant condition (57%) for making their personal health data available for research was an assurance of privacy for their data, and over 90 percent of respondents said that it was important that the data be anonymous. On the whole, survey participants said they would be more likely to share their data if they knew that it would only be used for public good research.
“We have known for a long time that altruism is a big reason why individuals participate in research studies that contribute to the common wealth, notably by evaluating new pharmaceuticals or medical devices,” said Dr. Kevin Patrick, a professor of Family and Preventive Medicine in the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and a lead author of the report with Qualcomm Institute Chief of Staff Jerry Sheehan.
 “It's reassuring to see this same attitude applied to these new forms of health data.”

Forty-six percent of the researchers interviewed for the report have already used self-tracking data in their research, and 23 percent have already collaborated with application, device or social media companies. These findings expand on a series of reports that have emerged in the past few years from the Pew 

 Patrick cautions, however, that from a research standpoint, the increasing volume of self-tracked data across large groups of people—for example people who use Fitbit™ to track their physical activity—raises entirely new methodological issues for researchers. “The amount of data captured by these devices and apps dwarfs anything that we have ever had before. New computational and analytical strategies will need to be applied that have not commonly been used in health-related research,” he said.
In addition to the challenges of dealing with the complexity of more data, Patrick says that researchers and bio-ethicists also need to consider carefully the appropriate ethical model for assessing the rights and responsibilities of individuals who are sharing their personal data. These considerations, which require additional qualitative research to better understand the expectations for privacy for personal health data, will help guide future policy considerations regarding informed consent.
Geoffrey C. Bowker, a professor in the Department of Informatics at UC Irvine and a founding member of the social science Big Data Council, concurs.

“The emergent field of the Quantified Self (QS) holds the possibility of transforming the generation and deployment of data about ourselves—and thereby of informing the generation of medical knowledge. Understanding how and why people use QS and how changing attitudes to privacy affect QS data is a core task for social scientists in this domain working with both design and policy communities.”
Opportunities and obstacles for using personal health data also exist from a business perspective. Through a series of interviews, the report found that although companies which deal in such data consider advancing research a worthy goal—especially if that research validates the utility of their device or application—their primary business concern is maintaining their customer relationships. A number of companies interviewed were open to data sharing with academics, but noted the slow pace and administrative burden of working with universities as a challenge.

Companies are already emerging to meet that challenge, according to the report. San Diego-based Small Steps Labs has developed a software platform called Fitabase that collects data from Internet-connected consumer devices and allows anyone—including researchers—to aggregate, analyze and export data gathered from people wearing the devices.

“You could say my entire company and product exist because of these new friendly consumer wearable sensors like the Fitbit,” said Fitabase CEO and Founder Aaron Coleman. “People are (rightfully so) skeptical of health tools that are one-size-fits-all and don't attempt to understand them. Greater access to data helps us make more relevant tools that fit the lifestyle of the person who is engaging our tools to better their health.” Prior to founding Fitabase, the UC San Diego alumnus (B.S. ’06) led a software development team in Calit2’s Center for Wireless and Population Health Systems, which designed several systems and platforms used for health related research.

We conducted surveys to understand attitudes and experiences with self-tracking data for both individuals and researchers. The individual survey was taken by 465 participants. The researcher survey was taken by 134 participants. At the end of the surveys for individuals and researchers, we asked participants if they would be willing to be contacted to participate in follow-up interviews. We interviewed 11 individuals and 9 researchers. We also interviewed 15 companies/key informants.

It is important to note the inherent bias of respondents in a convenience sample, particularly as our goal was to access individuals and researchers who are already generating or using digital self-tracking data. Further, participants tended to have more education and higher household incomes than the general population. Our survey also drew slightly more white and Asian participants and more female participants than in the general population.

View the original article here

Foundation Launches Project to Help People Learn More About the Quality of Their Doctor’s Care

Princeton, N.J –The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation today announced the launch of an innovative $1.3 million project to help consumers better understand and assess the quality of care their local physicians provide.

Known as The DOCTOR Project, the project enables organizations in 10 communities to develop consumer-friendly reports that measure local physicians’ adherence to known chronic disease management techniques, preventive screening and other factors. The organizations will then develop—or work with existing—websites that are seen as consumer-friendly and trustworthy within the local community.
The DOCTOR Project is being managed by Minnesota Community Measurement (MNCM), a national leader in reporting information on the quality of care doctors provide. Up to 10 regional collaboratives will be selected to participate in the effort. Results are expected to be published by Consumer Reports.

“While millions of Americans check online restaurant reviews before dining out, most consumers lack access to reliable, objective information on the quality of care available to them. That makes it difficult to compare options and make informed choices,” said Susan Mende, senior program officer at RWJF. “This project seeks to bridge that gap by encouraging communities to build sustainable systems for collecting and reporting data on local physicians’ performance.”

The grant builds on strong consumer response to a pilot initiative in three communities that are part of Aligning Forces for Quality, the Foundation’s signature effort to lift the overall quality of health care in targeted communities. Aligning Forces alliances in Minnesota, Massachusetts and Wisconsin previously worked with Consumer Reports to produce extremely popular magazine inserts that focused on which local physicians provide optimal diabetes and vascular care, and consistently screens for colorectal cancer.

“This project will demonstrate the true power of regional collaboratives to improve clinical outcomes and increase patient engagement,” said Jim Chase, president of Minnesota Community Measurement. “Due to our multi-stakeholder approach, regional collaboratives are uniquely positioned to provide credible information on clinical performance. And our relationships with providers, purchasers and other stakeholders are vital to connecting the dots that result in better health for our communities.”

Recruitment of up to 10 regional health collaboratives for participation in The DOCTOR Project will begin immediately. Results are expected to be published by Consumer Reports beginning in 2015.
MN Community Measurement is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving health by publicly reporting health care information. A trusted source of health care quality measurement and public reporting since 2003, MNCM works with health plans, providers, employers, consumers and state agencies to spur quality improvement, reduce health care costs and maximize value. Data on patient experience, quality health care and cost can be found at MNHealthScores.org.

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Foundation Launches Project to Help People Learn More About the Quality of Their Doctor’s Care

Posted by maghestra No comments

Princeton, N.J –The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation today announced the launch of an innovative $1.3 million project to help consumers better understand and assess the quality of care their local physicians provide.

Known as The DOCTOR Project, the project enables organizations in 10 communities to develop consumer-friendly reports that measure local physicians’ adherence to known chronic disease management techniques, preventive screening and other factors. The organizations will then develop—or work with existing—websites that are seen as consumer-friendly and trustworthy within the local community.
The DOCTOR Project is being managed by Minnesota Community Measurement (MNCM), a national leader in reporting information on the quality of care doctors provide. Up to 10 regional collaboratives will be selected to participate in the effort. Results are expected to be published by Consumer Reports.

“While millions of Americans check online restaurant reviews before dining out, most consumers lack access to reliable, objective information on the quality of care available to them. That makes it difficult to compare options and make informed choices,” said Susan Mende, senior program officer at RWJF. “This project seeks to bridge that gap by encouraging communities to build sustainable systems for collecting and reporting data on local physicians’ performance.”

The grant builds on strong consumer response to a pilot initiative in three communities that are part of Aligning Forces for Quality, the Foundation’s signature effort to lift the overall quality of health care in targeted communities. Aligning Forces alliances in Minnesota, Massachusetts and Wisconsin previously worked with Consumer Reports to produce extremely popular magazine inserts that focused on which local physicians provide optimal diabetes and vascular care, and consistently screens for colorectal cancer.

“This project will demonstrate the true power of regional collaboratives to improve clinical outcomes and increase patient engagement,” said Jim Chase, president of Minnesota Community Measurement. “Due to our multi-stakeholder approach, regional collaboratives are uniquely positioned to provide credible information on clinical performance. And our relationships with providers, purchasers and other stakeholders are vital to connecting the dots that result in better health for our communities.”

Recruitment of up to 10 regional health collaboratives for participation in The DOCTOR Project will begin immediately. Results are expected to be published by Consumer Reports beginning in 2015.
MN Community Measurement is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving health by publicly reporting health care information. A trusted source of health care quality measurement and public reporting since 2003, MNCM works with health plans, providers, employers, consumers and state agencies to spur quality improvement, reduce health care costs and maximize value. Data on patient experience, quality health care and cost can be found at MNHealthScores.org.

View the original article here

ARCHER supercomputer inaugurated

A new generation supercomputer, capable of more than one million billion calculations a second, is to be inaugurated at an event at the National Museum of Scotland today (Tuesday 25 March 2014).
The £43 million ARCHER (Academic Research Computing High End Resource) system will provide high performance computing support for research and industry projects in the UK.
ARCHER will help researchers carry out sophisticated, complex calculations in diverse areas such as simulating the Earth’s climate, calculating the airflow around aircraft, and designing novel materials.
Its magnitude and design will enable scientists to tackle problems on a scale that was previously thought impossible.

The system, at the University of Edinburgh’s Advanced Computing Facility at Easter Bush, has up to three and a half times the speed of the HECTOR supercomputer system, which it replaces.
ARCHER’s twin rows of sleek black cabinets are supported by the newly installed UK Research Data Facility.
The system brings together the UK’s most powerful computer with one of its largest data centres. This creates a facility to support Big Data applications, which has been identified by the UK Government as one of its Eight Great Technologies.

The building housing the ARCHER system is among the greenest computer centres in the world, with cooling costs of only eight pence for every pound spent on power.
ARCHER was supplied by US computing experts Cray and is funded and owned by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). The Massively Parallel Processor uses Cray’s XC30 hardware. Intel’s Xeon E5-2600v2 processor series enables ground-breaking performance, scalability, and maximises energy efficiency.

Professor David Delpy, CEO of the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, said: “EPSRC is proud to unveil this new ARCHER service. It will enable researchers in engineering and the physical sciences to continue to be at the forefront of computational science developments and make significant contributions in the use of Big Data to improve understanding across many fields and develop solutions to global challenges.”
Professor Sir Timothy O’Shea, Principal of the University of Edinburgh, said: “The University of Edinburgh has for many decades been a pioneer in High Performance Computing. Now that Big Data is reaching into an even greater range of areas we are delighted to have the ARCHER facility and its support at Edinburgh. Together with the UK Research Data Facility, we and the Research Councils have a facility unique in the UK, combining some of the world's most powerful computers with a vast datastore and analysis facilities. We will work with the Research Councils and UK researchers to generate world-leading research and business impact.”

Stephan Gillich, Director Technical Computing EMEA, Intel, said: “ARCHER is the highest ranked UK supercomputer on the Top 500 list of November 2013. Based on Intel Xeon E5 v2 processors, the system is designed to deliver sustained performance and scalability, providing researchers and scientists with a powerful, reliable and productive tool.”

Systems support for the machine will be provided by the University’s EPCC and Daresbury Laboratory. Science, user and engineering support will also be provided by EPCC.

The event at the National Museum of Scotland will involve representatives from the University, Cray, the Natural Environment Research Council and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council.

EPSRC Press Office, Tel: 01793 444 404
Or Catriona Kelly
Press and PR Office
University of Edinburgh
Tel: 01793 444 404.

The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) is the UK’s main agency for funding research in engineering and the physical sciences. EPSRC invests around £800 million a year in research and postgraduate training, to help the nation handle the next generation of technological change. The areas covered range from information technology to structural engineering, and mathematics to materials science. This research forms the basis for future economic development in the UK and improvements for everyone’s health, lifestyle and culture. EPSRC works alongside other Research Councils with responsibility for other areas of research. The Research Councils work collectively on issues of common concern via Research Councils UK
PN 22-14

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ARCHER supercomputer inaugurated

Posted by maghestra No comments

A new generation supercomputer, capable of more than one million billion calculations a second, is to be inaugurated at an event at the National Museum of Scotland today (Tuesday 25 March 2014).
The £43 million ARCHER (Academic Research Computing High End Resource) system will provide high performance computing support for research and industry projects in the UK.
ARCHER will help researchers carry out sophisticated, complex calculations in diverse areas such as simulating the Earth’s climate, calculating the airflow around aircraft, and designing novel materials.
Its magnitude and design will enable scientists to tackle problems on a scale that was previously thought impossible.

The system, at the University of Edinburgh’s Advanced Computing Facility at Easter Bush, has up to three and a half times the speed of the HECTOR supercomputer system, which it replaces.
ARCHER’s twin rows of sleek black cabinets are supported by the newly installed UK Research Data Facility.
The system brings together the UK’s most powerful computer with one of its largest data centres. This creates a facility to support Big Data applications, which has been identified by the UK Government as one of its Eight Great Technologies.

The building housing the ARCHER system is among the greenest computer centres in the world, with cooling costs of only eight pence for every pound spent on power.
ARCHER was supplied by US computing experts Cray and is funded and owned by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). The Massively Parallel Processor uses Cray’s XC30 hardware. Intel’s Xeon E5-2600v2 processor series enables ground-breaking performance, scalability, and maximises energy efficiency.

Professor David Delpy, CEO of the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, said: “EPSRC is proud to unveil this new ARCHER service. It will enable researchers in engineering and the physical sciences to continue to be at the forefront of computational science developments and make significant contributions in the use of Big Data to improve understanding across many fields and develop solutions to global challenges.”
Professor Sir Timothy O’Shea, Principal of the University of Edinburgh, said: “The University of Edinburgh has for many decades been a pioneer in High Performance Computing. Now that Big Data is reaching into an even greater range of areas we are delighted to have the ARCHER facility and its support at Edinburgh. Together with the UK Research Data Facility, we and the Research Councils have a facility unique in the UK, combining some of the world's most powerful computers with a vast datastore and analysis facilities. We will work with the Research Councils and UK researchers to generate world-leading research and business impact.”

Stephan Gillich, Director Technical Computing EMEA, Intel, said: “ARCHER is the highest ranked UK supercomputer on the Top 500 list of November 2013. Based on Intel Xeon E5 v2 processors, the system is designed to deliver sustained performance and scalability, providing researchers and scientists with a powerful, reliable and productive tool.”

Systems support for the machine will be provided by the University’s EPCC and Daresbury Laboratory. Science, user and engineering support will also be provided by EPCC.

The event at the National Museum of Scotland will involve representatives from the University, Cray, the Natural Environment Research Council and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council.

EPSRC Press Office, Tel: 01793 444 404
Or Catriona Kelly
Press and PR Office
University of Edinburgh
Tel: 01793 444 404.

The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) is the UK’s main agency for funding research in engineering and the physical sciences. EPSRC invests around £800 million a year in research and postgraduate training, to help the nation handle the next generation of technological change. The areas covered range from information technology to structural engineering, and mathematics to materials science. This research forms the basis for future economic development in the UK and improvements for everyone’s health, lifestyle and culture. EPSRC works alongside other Research Councils with responsibility for other areas of research. The Research Councils work collectively on issues of common concern via Research Councils UK
PN 22-14

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David Delpy announced as Chairman of the Strategic Advisory Board for UK National Quantum Technologies Programme

On 7 March 2014, EPSRC - as part of the UK National Quantum Technologies Programme - held a briefing workshop for the applicants to the current call for a National Network of Quantum Technology Hubs. EPSRC staff were joined at the event by colleagues from BIS, TSB, Dstl, NPL and CESG, and outlined the vision and rationale for creating the national network of Quantum Technology Hubs. Applicants were taken through specific aspects of the application and strategic peer review process, had the opportunity to ask questions of EPSRC staff, and engage in important networking and consortium-building with their peers.

During the day, Dr. Sue Armfield (BIS) was pleased to announce that outgoing EPSRC CEO, Prof. David Delpy, has been appointed by David Willetts as Chairman of the UK National Quantum Technologies Programme Strategic Advisory Board.

A copy of the slides used on the day, and answers to some frequently-asked questions, have now been made available on the EPSRC website.
Members of the community who are interested in finding out more about the proposed Quantum Technology Hubs are encouraged to make contact with the Directors of the Hub bids, listed below. The proposed Hubs are still finalising their bidding consortia, and should remain open to exploring new collaborations and expertise.

PI NameInstitutionHub Bid TitleQuantum Technologies - Quantum Computation HubQuantum Communications TechnologiesEmbedding Quantum Computation in Science, Technology and Business PracticeQuantum sensing and metrology based on levitated optomechanicsNorth-West Quantum Sensors HubQuantum simulations with polaritons and cold atomsCentre for Solid-State Quantum Communications and Sensors (Comm&Sense)Quantum Applied Sciences and Technology for Defence (QAST-D)Quantum 2020: Scalable quantum networks for computation, simulation, sensing and communicationsElectronic quantum technologiesQuantum Thermodynamics for Advanced Data StorageIQUEST: Hub for Industrial Quantum Engineering Science & TechnologyQuantum Institute for Precise Measurement and TimingQ-SuBLiME: Quantum Technology Hub for Sensing and metrology in BioLogy and MedicineMultilayers and Arrays for Quantum Information Technologies (MAQIT)
View the original article here

David Delpy announced as Chairman of the Strategic Advisory Board for UK National Quantum Technologies Programme

Posted by maghestra No comments

On 7 March 2014, EPSRC - as part of the UK National Quantum Technologies Programme - held a briefing workshop for the applicants to the current call for a National Network of Quantum Technology Hubs. EPSRC staff were joined at the event by colleagues from BIS, TSB, Dstl, NPL and CESG, and outlined the vision and rationale for creating the national network of Quantum Technology Hubs. Applicants were taken through specific aspects of the application and strategic peer review process, had the opportunity to ask questions of EPSRC staff, and engage in important networking and consortium-building with their peers.

During the day, Dr. Sue Armfield (BIS) was pleased to announce that outgoing EPSRC CEO, Prof. David Delpy, has been appointed by David Willetts as Chairman of the UK National Quantum Technologies Programme Strategic Advisory Board.

A copy of the slides used on the day, and answers to some frequently-asked questions, have now been made available on the EPSRC website.
Members of the community who are interested in finding out more about the proposed Quantum Technology Hubs are encouraged to make contact with the Directors of the Hub bids, listed below. The proposed Hubs are still finalising their bidding consortia, and should remain open to exploring new collaborations and expertise.

PI NameInstitutionHub Bid TitleQuantum Technologies - Quantum Computation HubQuantum Communications TechnologiesEmbedding Quantum Computation in Science, Technology and Business PracticeQuantum sensing and metrology based on levitated optomechanicsNorth-West Quantum Sensors HubQuantum simulations with polaritons and cold atomsCentre for Solid-State Quantum Communications and Sensors (Comm&Sense)Quantum Applied Sciences and Technology for Defence (QAST-D)Quantum 2020: Scalable quantum networks for computation, simulation, sensing and communicationsElectronic quantum technologiesQuantum Thermodynamics for Advanced Data StorageIQUEST: Hub for Industrial Quantum Engineering Science & TechnologyQuantum Institute for Precise Measurement and TimingQ-SuBLiME: Quantum Technology Hub for Sensing and metrology in BioLogy and MedicineMultilayers and Arrays for Quantum Information Technologies (MAQIT)
View the original article here

New Report Finds People Willing to Share Personal Health Data with Researchers, Companies

San Diego—A new report from the California Institute for Telecommunications and Information Technology (Calit2), supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, suggests that  many people who track health-related data with wearable devices and smartphone apps are interested in sharing that data with researchers in medical and public health—provided adequate privacy controls exist.

The report, titled “Personal Data for the Public Good: New Opportunities to Enrich Understanding of Individual and Population Health,” also indicates that a large number of researchers are eager to access and use self-tracking data to fill in gaps in more traditional clinical data collection, although doing so will require new research methodologies and business models for companies which deal in such data.
The report was prepared by the Health Data Exploration project at Calit2 using a convenience sample of individuals and researchers who are already generating or using digital self-tracking data. Among survey respondents, the five most common health conditions tracked were exercise, diet, weight, athletic activity and sleep.

“Behavioral research has always depended on observations made in the laboratory or the clinic,” said Robert Kaplan, a member of the Health Data Exploration Advisory Board and associate director for Behavioral and Social Sciences at the National Institutes of Health. “Now we can bring the laboratory to the person in his or her own environment. This greatly enhances the opportunity to learn about the determinants of behavior in the natural environments of everyday life.”

The Health Data Exploration project, which is funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, is exploring how to bridge the “worlds” of health researchers, the set of mostly private and often small technology companies that hold these data, and individuals who may want to donate their own health or medical data.
“We are encouraged to discover a willingness of a large number of behavioral and social scientists to partner with data scientists to delve into the depths of consumer-generated data,” said Lori Melichar, senior program officer at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. “We are hopeful that we will be able to facilitate mutually beneficial partnerships between companies and researchers that can produce new insights into perplexing health challenges.”

Among individuals surveyed, the dominant condition (57%) for making their personal health data available for research was an assurance of privacy for their data, and over 90 percent of respondents said that it was important that the data be anonymous. On the whole, survey participants said they would be more likely to share their data if they knew that it would only be used for public good research.
“We have known for a long time that altruism is a big reason why individuals participate in research studies that contribute to the common wealth, notably by evaluating new pharmaceuticals or medical devices,” said Dr. Kevin Patrick, a professor of Family and Preventive Medicine in the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and a lead author of the report with Qualcomm Institute Chief of Staff Jerry Sheehan.
 “It's reassuring to see this same attitude applied to these new forms of health data.”

Forty-six percent of the researchers interviewed for the report have already used self-tracking data in their research, and 23 percent have already collaborated with application, device or social media companies. These findings expand on a series of reports that have emerged in the past few years from the Pew Foundation, the Institute of Medicine and others, all of which point to what Patrick calls “a landscape of opportunity” for using ‘big data’ to improve public health.

Patrick cautions, however, that from a research standpoint, the increasing volume of self-tracked data across large groups of people—for example people who use Fitbit™ to track their physical activity—raises entirely new methodological issues for researchers. “The amount of data captured by these devices and apps dwarfs anything that we have ever had before. New computational and analytical strategies will need to be applied that have not commonly been used in health-related research,” he said.

In addition to the challenges of dealing with the complexity of more data, Patrick says that researchers and bio-ethicists also need to consider carefully the appropriate ethical model for assessing the rights and responsibilities of individuals who are sharing their personal data. These considerations, which require additional qualitative research to better understand the expectations for privacy for personal health data, will help guide future policy considerations regarding informed consent.
Geoffrey C. Bowker, a professor in the Department of Informatics at UC Irvine and a founding member of the social science Big Data Council, concurs.
“The emergent field of the Quantified Self (QS) holds the possibility of transforming the generation and deployment of data about ourselves—and thereby of informing the generation of medical knowledge. Understanding how and why people use QS and how changing attitudes to privacy affect QS data is a core task for social scientists in this domain working with both design and policy communities.”

Opportunities and obstacles for using personal health data also exist from a business perspective. Through a series of interviews, the report found that although companies which deal in such data consider advancing research a worthy goal—especially if that research validates the utility of their device or application—their primary business concern is maintaining their customer relationships. A number of companies interviewed were open to data sharing with academics, but noted the slow pace and administrative burden of working with universities as a challenge.

Companies are already emerging to meet that challenge, according to the report. San Diego-based Small Steps Labs has developed a software platform called Fitabase that collects data from Internet-connected consumer devices and allows anyone—including researchers—to aggregate, analyze and export data gathered from people wearing the devices.

“You could say my entire company and product exist because of these new friendly consumer wearable sensors like the Fitbit,” said Fitabase CEO and Founder Aaron Coleman. “People are (rightfully so) skeptical of health tools that are one-size-fits-all and don't attempt to understand them. Greater access to data helps us make more relevant tools that fit the lifestyle of the person who is engaging our tools to better their health.” Prior to founding Fitabase, the UC San Diego alumnus (B.S. ’06) led a software development team in Calit2’s Center for Wireless and Population Health Systems, which designed several systems and platforms used for health related research.

We conducted surveys to understand attitudes and experiences with self-tracking data for both individuals and researchers. The individual survey was taken by 465 participants. The researcher survey was taken by 134 participants. At the end of the surveys for individuals and researchers, we asked participants if they would be willing to be contacted to participate in follow-up interviews. We interviewed 11 individuals and 9 researchers. We also interviewed 15 companies/key informants.

It is important to note the inherent bias of respondents in a convenience sample, particularly as our goal was to access individuals and researchers who are already generating or using digital self-tracking data. Further, participants tended to have more education and higher household incomes than the general population. Our survey also drew slightly more white and Asian participants and more female participants than in the general population.

View the original article here

New Report Finds People Willing to Share Personal Health Data with Researchers, Companies

Posted by maghestra No comments

San Diego—A new report from the California Institute for Telecommunications and Information Technology (Calit2), supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, suggests that  many people who track health-related data with wearable devices and smartphone apps are interested in sharing that data with researchers in medical and public health—provided adequate privacy controls exist.

The report, titled “Personal Data for the Public Good: New Opportunities to Enrich Understanding of Individual and Population Health,” also indicates that a large number of researchers are eager to access and use self-tracking data to fill in gaps in more traditional clinical data collection, although doing so will require new research methodologies and business models for companies which deal in such data.
The report was prepared by the Health Data Exploration project at Calit2 using a convenience sample of individuals and researchers who are already generating or using digital self-tracking data. Among survey respondents, the five most common health conditions tracked were exercise, diet, weight, athletic activity and sleep.

“Behavioral research has always depended on observations made in the laboratory or the clinic,” said Robert Kaplan, a member of the Health Data Exploration Advisory Board and associate director for Behavioral and Social Sciences at the National Institutes of Health. “Now we can bring the laboratory to the person in his or her own environment. This greatly enhances the opportunity to learn about the determinants of behavior in the natural environments of everyday life.”

The Health Data Exploration project, which is funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, is exploring how to bridge the “worlds” of health researchers, the set of mostly private and often small technology companies that hold these data, and individuals who may want to donate their own health or medical data.
“We are encouraged to discover a willingness of a large number of behavioral and social scientists to partner with data scientists to delve into the depths of consumer-generated data,” said Lori Melichar, senior program officer at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. “We are hopeful that we will be able to facilitate mutually beneficial partnerships between companies and researchers that can produce new insights into perplexing health challenges.”

Among individuals surveyed, the dominant condition (57%) for making their personal health data available for research was an assurance of privacy for their data, and over 90 percent of respondents said that it was important that the data be anonymous. On the whole, survey participants said they would be more likely to share their data if they knew that it would only be used for public good research.
“We have known for a long time that altruism is a big reason why individuals participate in research studies that contribute to the common wealth, notably by evaluating new pharmaceuticals or medical devices,” said Dr. Kevin Patrick, a professor of Family and Preventive Medicine in the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and a lead author of the report with Qualcomm Institute Chief of Staff Jerry Sheehan.
 “It's reassuring to see this same attitude applied to these new forms of health data.”

Forty-six percent of the researchers interviewed for the report have already used self-tracking data in their research, and 23 percent have already collaborated with application, device or social media companies. These findings expand on a series of reports that have emerged in the past few years from the Pew Foundation, the Institute of Medicine and others, all of which point to what Patrick calls “a landscape of opportunity” for using ‘big data’ to improve public health.

Patrick cautions, however, that from a research standpoint, the increasing volume of self-tracked data across large groups of people—for example people who use Fitbit™ to track their physical activity—raises entirely new methodological issues for researchers. “The amount of data captured by these devices and apps dwarfs anything that we have ever had before. New computational and analytical strategies will need to be applied that have not commonly been used in health-related research,” he said.

In addition to the challenges of dealing with the complexity of more data, Patrick says that researchers and bio-ethicists also need to consider carefully the appropriate ethical model for assessing the rights and responsibilities of individuals who are sharing their personal data. These considerations, which require additional qualitative research to better understand the expectations for privacy for personal health data, will help guide future policy considerations regarding informed consent.
Geoffrey C. Bowker, a professor in the Department of Informatics at UC Irvine and a founding member of the social science Big Data Council, concurs.
“The emergent field of the Quantified Self (QS) holds the possibility of transforming the generation and deployment of data about ourselves—and thereby of informing the generation of medical knowledge. Understanding how and why people use QS and how changing attitudes to privacy affect QS data is a core task for social scientists in this domain working with both design and policy communities.”

Opportunities and obstacles for using personal health data also exist from a business perspective. Through a series of interviews, the report found that although companies which deal in such data consider advancing research a worthy goal—especially if that research validates the utility of their device or application—their primary business concern is maintaining their customer relationships. A number of companies interviewed were open to data sharing with academics, but noted the slow pace and administrative burden of working with universities as a challenge.

Companies are already emerging to meet that challenge, according to the report. San Diego-based Small Steps Labs has developed a software platform called Fitabase that collects data from Internet-connected consumer devices and allows anyone—including researchers—to aggregate, analyze and export data gathered from people wearing the devices.

“You could say my entire company and product exist because of these new friendly consumer wearable sensors like the Fitbit,” said Fitabase CEO and Founder Aaron Coleman. “People are (rightfully so) skeptical of health tools that are one-size-fits-all and don't attempt to understand them. Greater access to data helps us make more relevant tools that fit the lifestyle of the person who is engaging our tools to better their health.” Prior to founding Fitabase, the UC San Diego alumnus (B.S. ’06) led a software development team in Calit2’s Center for Wireless and Population Health Systems, which designed several systems and platforms used for health related research.

We conducted surveys to understand attitudes and experiences with self-tracking data for both individuals and researchers. The individual survey was taken by 465 participants. The researcher survey was taken by 134 participants. At the end of the surveys for individuals and researchers, we asked participants if they would be willing to be contacted to participate in follow-up interviews. We interviewed 11 individuals and 9 researchers. We also interviewed 15 companies/key informants.

It is important to note the inherent bias of respondents in a convenience sample, particularly as our goal was to access individuals and researchers who are already generating or using digital self-tracking data. Further, participants tended to have more education and higher household incomes than the general population. Our survey also drew slightly more white and Asian participants and more female participants than in the general population.

View the original article here

Groundbreaking New Website Launches, Giving Public Access to Measures of Child Well-Being and Equity Throughout the United States

Waltham, Mass.–The Institute for Child, Youth and Family Policy (ICYFP) at Brandeis University’s Heller School for Social Policy and Management has launched a new online data and analysis tool, providing unprecedented insight into wellbeing and equity among the ever-more diverse child population in the United States.

The site, diversitydatakids.org, allows users to create customized profiles, rankings and maps that make data visual and digestible. It also features a neighborhood-level child opportunity index, the first of its kind, developed in partnership with the Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity at Ohio State University. This index allows users to view interactive maps of the opportunities that are available to children in their own neighborhoods; a story that is often strikingly different by race/ethnicity. In addition to providing this index and hundreds of standard data indicators broken down by race and ethnicity, this site generates unique, equity-focused indicators of known structural factors that influence disparities in healthy child development. It also allows users to drill down from the national level to smaller levels of geography such as metropolitan areas and school districts, and in some cases, down to the neighborhood level, providing pinpoint views of the often nuanced inequities present among children of various racial and ethnic groups.

"The U.S. child population is increasingly racially and ethnically diverse, but unfortunately not all children have the same opportunities for healthy development,” said Dolores Acevedo-Garcia, director of ICYFP and principal investigator of the diversitydatakids.org project. “Our future hinges on our ability to ensure equitable opportunities for children across all racial and ethnic groups to lead healthy, productive lives. We hope that our data will equip users to become more informed advocates for all children and especially for vulnerable children.”

The U.S. philanthropy community is increasingly focused on data that promotes child advocacy through a lens of racial and ethnic equity. This project was originally funded with longtime support from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, which also supported the development of diversitydatakids.org’s parent project (www.diversitydata.org), created in 2007.

“Diversitydatakids.org is an invaluable resource for all communities working on racial equity. Census and other data that tell the story of our nation’s children will help refine the strategies the racial healing and racial equity movements use to accomplish this important work,” said Dr. Gail C. Christopher, vice president of Program Strategy at the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. “We are proud of how this project has grown and evolved over the nine years of our partnership, and we are grateful for the tools it will continue to provide to foundation grantees in the years to come.”

The diversitydatakids.org project has also received support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), which has prioritized building an inclusive and equitable culture of health for all Americans. The RWJF Commission for a Healthier America has recently released recommendations to improve health through early childhood education, community development, and promoting health outside the medical system. The data that diversitydatakids.org provides is closely aligned with and will help monitor the Commissions’ health recommendations.

“We are working to build a culture of health for all Americans,” said Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, president and CEO of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, “a culture in which the health of our children is a matter of fact, not a matter of chance. The diversitydatakids.org project can be an indispensable tool in helping communities assess their health—and then take steps to improve it. RWJF is very proud to be able to support this big step forward for children and their health.”

The launch of diversitydatakids.org is accompanied by the release of two fact sheets demonstrating how data can contribute to a more robust narrative around diversity and racial equity for children. The site will continue to release fact sheets and other content, sharing insights and providing examples of how data can be used by site visitors at any level of expertise.

The site’s launch is the culmination of years of work at ICYFP on collecting the highest-quality data available on the U.S. child population and representing it in a way that tells a compelling story: child experiences in America vary drastically by race and ethnicity, often in ways that are systematically unfair and avoidable. The diversitydatakids.org team and ICYFP hope that the project will illuminate these issues for the public and provide a toolkit for other researchers, policymakers, and advocates to effect positive, lasting change for children in the United States.

For more information, visit www.diversitydatakids.org.

The Institute for Child, Youth and Family Policy (CYFP) The Institute for Child, Youth and Family Policy (ICYFP) is located at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University. The research team at ICYFP engages in both quantitative and qualitative research studies of children and families as well as the social policies that directly affect their wellbeing.

The mission of ICYFP is to conduct and disseminate policy-relevant research on the wellbeing, health and development of children and their families. ICYFP seeks to understand the causes of inequities in children’s ability to achieve health and to offer program and policy solutions to alleviate these inequities. Research at ICYFP is strongly focused on understanding and quantifying disparities among children and their families by race/ethnicity, immigrant status, socioeconomic status, or disability status as they manifest themselves in opportunities for good health, education, and financial stability.

The W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF), founded in 1930 as an independent, private foundation by breakfast cereal pioneer, Will Keith Kellogg, is among the largest philanthropic foundations in the United States. Guided by the belief that all children should have an equal opportunity to thrive, WKKF works with communities to create the conditions where vulnerable children can realize their full potential in school, work and life.

The Kellogg Foundation is based in Battle Creek, Mich., and works throughout the United States and internationally, as well as with sovereign tribes. Special emphasis is paid to priority places where there are high concentrations of poverty and where children face significant barriers to success. WKKF priority places in the U.S. are in Michigan, Mississippi, New Mexico and New Orleans; and internationally, are in Mexico and Haiti. For more information, visit www.wkkf.org.

View the original article here

Groundbreaking New Website Launches, Giving Public Access to Measures of Child Well-Being and Equity Throughout the United States

Posted by maghestra No comments

Waltham, Mass.–The Institute for Child, Youth and Family Policy (ICYFP) at Brandeis University’s Heller School for Social Policy and Management has launched a new online data and analysis tool, providing unprecedented insight into wellbeing and equity among the ever-more diverse child population in the United States.

The site, diversitydatakids.org, allows users to create customized profiles, rankings and maps that make data visual and digestible. It also features a neighborhood-level child opportunity index, the first of its kind, developed in partnership with the Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity at Ohio State University. This index allows users to view interactive maps of the opportunities that are available to children in their own neighborhoods; a story that is often strikingly different by race/ethnicity. In addition to providing this index and hundreds of standard data indicators broken down by race and ethnicity, this site generates unique, equity-focused indicators of known structural factors that influence disparities in healthy child development. It also allows users to drill down from the national level to smaller levels of geography such as metropolitan areas and school districts, and in some cases, down to the neighborhood level, providing pinpoint views of the often nuanced inequities present among children of various racial and ethnic groups.

"The U.S. child population is increasingly racially and ethnically diverse, but unfortunately not all children have the same opportunities for healthy development,” said Dolores Acevedo-Garcia, director of ICYFP and principal investigator of the diversitydatakids.org project. “Our future hinges on our ability to ensure equitable opportunities for children across all racial and ethnic groups to lead healthy, productive lives. We hope that our data will equip users to become more informed advocates for all children and especially for vulnerable children.”

The U.S. philanthropy community is increasingly focused on data that promotes child advocacy through a lens of racial and ethnic equity. This project was originally funded with longtime support from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, which also supported the development of diversitydatakids.org’s parent project (www.diversitydata.org), created in 2007.

“Diversitydatakids.org is an invaluable resource for all communities working on racial equity. Census and other data that tell the story of our nation’s children will help refine the strategies the racial healing and racial equity movements use to accomplish this important work,” said Dr. Gail C. Christopher, vice president of Program Strategy at the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. “We are proud of how this project has grown and evolved over the nine years of our partnership, and we are grateful for the tools it will continue to provide to foundation grantees in the years to come.”

The diversitydatakids.org project has also received support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), which has prioritized building an inclusive and equitable culture of health for all Americans. The RWJF Commission for a Healthier America has recently released recommendations to improve health through early childhood education, community development, and promoting health outside the medical system. The data that diversitydatakids.org provides is closely aligned with and will help monitor the Commissions’ health recommendations.

“We are working to build a culture of health for all Americans,” said Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, president and CEO of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, “a culture in which the health of our children is a matter of fact, not a matter of chance. The diversitydatakids.org project can be an indispensable tool in helping communities assess their health—and then take steps to improve it. RWJF is very proud to be able to support this big step forward for children and their health.”

The launch of diversitydatakids.org is accompanied by the release of two fact sheets demonstrating how data can contribute to a more robust narrative around diversity and racial equity for children. The site will continue to release fact sheets and other content, sharing insights and providing examples of how data can be used by site visitors at any level of expertise.

The site’s launch is the culmination of years of work at ICYFP on collecting the highest-quality data available on the U.S. child population and representing it in a way that tells a compelling story: child experiences in America vary drastically by race and ethnicity, often in ways that are systematically unfair and avoidable. The diversitydatakids.org team and ICYFP hope that the project will illuminate these issues for the public and provide a toolkit for other researchers, policymakers, and advocates to effect positive, lasting change for children in the United States.

For more information, visit www.diversitydatakids.org.

The Institute for Child, Youth and Family Policy (CYFP) The Institute for Child, Youth and Family Policy (ICYFP) is located at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University. The research team at ICYFP engages in both quantitative and qualitative research studies of children and families as well as the social policies that directly affect their wellbeing.

The mission of ICYFP is to conduct and disseminate policy-relevant research on the wellbeing, health and development of children and their families. ICYFP seeks to understand the causes of inequities in children’s ability to achieve health and to offer program and policy solutions to alleviate these inequities. Research at ICYFP is strongly focused on understanding and quantifying disparities among children and their families by race/ethnicity, immigrant status, socioeconomic status, or disability status as they manifest themselves in opportunities for good health, education, and financial stability.

The W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF), founded in 1930 as an independent, private foundation by breakfast cereal pioneer, Will Keith Kellogg, is among the largest philanthropic foundations in the United States. Guided by the belief that all children should have an equal opportunity to thrive, WKKF works with communities to create the conditions where vulnerable children can realize their full potential in school, work and life.

The Kellogg Foundation is based in Battle Creek, Mich., and works throughout the United States and internationally, as well as with sovereign tribes. Special emphasis is paid to priority places where there are high concentrations of poverty and where children face significant barriers to success. WKKF priority places in the U.S. are in Michigan, Mississippi, New Mexico and New Orleans; and internationally, are in Mexico and Haiti. For more information, visit www.wkkf.org.

View the original article here

Foundation Launches Project to Help People Learn More About the Quality of Their Doctor’s Care

Princeton, N.J –The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation today announced the launch of an innovative $1.3 million project to help consumers better understand and assess the quality of care their local physicians provide.

Known as The DOCTOR Project, the project enables organizations in 10 communities to develop consumer-friendly reports that measure local physicians’ adherence to known chronic disease management techniques, preventive screening and other factors. The organizations will then develop—or work with existing—websites that are seen as consumer-friendly and trustworthy within the local community.

The DOCTOR Project is being managed by Minnesota Community Measurement (MNCM), a national leader in reporting information on the quality of care doctors provide. Up to 10 regional collaboratives will be selected to participate in the effort. Results are expected to be published by Consumer Reports.

“While millions of Americans check online restaurant reviews before dining out, most consumers lack access to reliable, objective information on the quality of care available to them. That makes it difficult to compare options and make informed choices,” said Susan Mende, senior program officer at RWJF. “This project seeks to bridge that gap by encouraging communities to build sustainable systems for collecting and reporting data on local physicians’ performance.”

The grant builds on strong consumer response to a pilot initiative in three communities that are part of Aligning Forces for Quality, the Foundation’s signature effort to lift the overall quality of health care in targeted communities. Aligning Forces alliances in Minnesota, Massachusetts and Wisconsin previously worked with Consumer Reports to produce extremely popular magazine inserts that focused on which local physicians provide optimal diabetes and vascular care, and consistently screens for colorectal cancer.

“This project will demonstrate the true power of regional collaboratives to improve clinical outcomes and increase patient engagement,” said Jim Chase, president of Minnesota Community Measurement. “Due to our multi-stakeholder approach, regional collaboratives are uniquely positioned to provide credible information on clinical performance. And our relationships with providers, purchasers and other stakeholders are vital to connecting the dots that result in better health for our communities.”

Recruitment of up to 10 regional health collaboratives for participation in The DOCTOR Project will begin immediately. Results are expected to be published by Consumer Reports beginning in 2015.

MN Community Measurement is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving health by publicly reporting health care information. A trusted source of health care quality measurement and public reporting since 2003, MNCM works with health plans, providers, employers, consumers and state agencies to spur quality improvement, reduce health care costs and maximize value. Data on patient experience, quality health care and cost can be found at MNHealthScores.org.

View the original article here

Foundation Launches Project to Help People Learn More About the Quality of Their Doctor’s Care

Posted by maghestra No comments

Princeton, N.J –The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation today announced the launch of an innovative $1.3 million project to help consumers better understand and assess the quality of care their local physicians provide.

Known as The DOCTOR Project, the project enables organizations in 10 communities to develop consumer-friendly reports that measure local physicians’ adherence to known chronic disease management techniques, preventive screening and other factors. The organizations will then develop—or work with existing—websites that are seen as consumer-friendly and trustworthy within the local community.

The DOCTOR Project is being managed by Minnesota Community Measurement (MNCM), a national leader in reporting information on the quality of care doctors provide. Up to 10 regional collaboratives will be selected to participate in the effort. Results are expected to be published by Consumer Reports.

“While millions of Americans check online restaurant reviews before dining out, most consumers lack access to reliable, objective information on the quality of care available to them. That makes it difficult to compare options and make informed choices,” said Susan Mende, senior program officer at RWJF. “This project seeks to bridge that gap by encouraging communities to build sustainable systems for collecting and reporting data on local physicians’ performance.”

The grant builds on strong consumer response to a pilot initiative in three communities that are part of Aligning Forces for Quality, the Foundation’s signature effort to lift the overall quality of health care in targeted communities. Aligning Forces alliances in Minnesota, Massachusetts and Wisconsin previously worked with Consumer Reports to produce extremely popular magazine inserts that focused on which local physicians provide optimal diabetes and vascular care, and consistently screens for colorectal cancer.

“This project will demonstrate the true power of regional collaboratives to improve clinical outcomes and increase patient engagement,” said Jim Chase, president of Minnesota Community Measurement. “Due to our multi-stakeholder approach, regional collaboratives are uniquely positioned to provide credible information on clinical performance. And our relationships with providers, purchasers and other stakeholders are vital to connecting the dots that result in better health for our communities.”

Recruitment of up to 10 regional health collaboratives for participation in The DOCTOR Project will begin immediately. Results are expected to be published by Consumer Reports beginning in 2015.

MN Community Measurement is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving health by publicly reporting health care information. A trusted source of health care quality measurement and public reporting since 2003, MNCM works with health plans, providers, employers, consumers and state agencies to spur quality improvement, reduce health care costs and maximize value. Data on patient experience, quality health care and cost can be found at MNHealthScores.org.

View the original article here

Researchers build the world’s most powerful terahertz laser chip

Researchers from the University of Leeds have built the world’s most powerful terahertz laser chip, setting a new record which more than doubles the output power recently achieved by a team from Vienna. The work has been funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).

A paper in the Institution of Engineering and Technology’s (IET) journal Electronics Letters reports that the Leeds team exceeded 1W output power from a terahertz quantum cascade laser.

Terahertz waves, which lie in the part of the electromagnetic spectrum between infrared and microwaves, can penetrate materials that block visible light and have a wide range of possible uses including chemical analysis, security scanning, medical imaging, and telecommunications.

Widely publicised potential applications include monitoring pharmaceutical products, the remote sensing of chemical signatures of drugs/explosives in unopened envelopes, and the non-invasive detection of cancers in the human body.

However, one of the main challenges for scientists and engineers is making the lasers powerful and compact enough to be useful.

Professor Edmund Linfield, Chair of Terahertz Electronics at the University of Leeds, said: “The process of making these lasers is extraordinarily delicate. Layers of different semiconductors such as gallium arsenide are built up one atomic monolayer at a time. We control the thickness and composition of each individual layer very accurately and build up a semiconductor material of between typically 1,000 and 2,000 layers. The record power of our new laser is due to the expertise that we have developed at Leeds in fabricating these layered semiconductors, together with our ability to engineer these materials subsequently into suitable and powerful laser devices.”

Professor Giles Davies, Chair of Electronic and Photonic Engineering, said: “The University of Leeds has been an international leader in terahertz engineering for many years. This work is a key step toward increasing the power of these lasers while keeping them compact and affordable enough to deliver the range of applications promised by terahertz technology.”

The news featured widely in specialist publications.

Reference: 19/14

View the original article here

Researchers build the world’s most powerful terahertz laser chip

Posted by maghestra No comments

Researchers from the University of Leeds have built the world’s most powerful terahertz laser chip, setting a new record which more than doubles the output power recently achieved by a team from Vienna. The work has been funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).

A paper in the Institution of Engineering and Technology’s (IET) journal Electronics Letters reports that the Leeds team exceeded 1W output power from a terahertz quantum cascade laser.

Terahertz waves, which lie in the part of the electromagnetic spectrum between infrared and microwaves, can penetrate materials that block visible light and have a wide range of possible uses including chemical analysis, security scanning, medical imaging, and telecommunications.

Widely publicised potential applications include monitoring pharmaceutical products, the remote sensing of chemical signatures of drugs/explosives in unopened envelopes, and the non-invasive detection of cancers in the human body.

However, one of the main challenges for scientists and engineers is making the lasers powerful and compact enough to be useful.

Professor Edmund Linfield, Chair of Terahertz Electronics at the University of Leeds, said: “The process of making these lasers is extraordinarily delicate. Layers of different semiconductors such as gallium arsenide are built up one atomic monolayer at a time. We control the thickness and composition of each individual layer very accurately and build up a semiconductor material of between typically 1,000 and 2,000 layers. The record power of our new laser is due to the expertise that we have developed at Leeds in fabricating these layered semiconductors, together with our ability to engineer these materials subsequently into suitable and powerful laser devices.”

Professor Giles Davies, Chair of Electronic and Photonic Engineering, said: “The University of Leeds has been an international leader in terahertz engineering for many years. This work is a key step toward increasing the power of these lasers while keeping them compact and affordable enough to deliver the range of applications promised by terahertz technology.”

The news featured widely in specialist publications.

Reference: 19/14

View the original article here

WHO opens public consultation on draft sugars guideline

5 March 2014 | GENEVA - WHO is launching a public consultation on its draft guideline on sugars intake. When finalized, the guideline will provide countries with recommendations on limiting the consumption of sugars to reduce public health problems like obesity and dental caries (commonly referred to as tooth decay).

Comments on the draft guideline will be accepted via the WHO web site from 5 through 31 March 2014. Anyone who wishes to comment must submit a declaration of interests. An expert peer-review process will happen over the same period. Once the peer-review and public consultation are completed, all comments will be reviewed, the draft guidelines will be revised if necessary and cleared by WHO’s Guidelines Review Committee before being finalized.

WHO’s current recommendation, from 2002, is that sugars should make up less than 10% of total energy intake per day. The new draft guideline also proposes that sugars should be less than 10% of total energy intake per day. It further suggests that a reduction to below 5% of total energy intake per day would have additional benefits. Five per cent of total energy intake is equivalent to around 25 grams (around 6 teaspoons) of sugar per day for an adult of normal Body Mass Index (BMI).

The suggested limits on intake of sugars in the draft guideline apply to all monosaccharides (such as glucose, fructose) and disaccharides (such as sucrose or table sugar) that are added to food by the manufacturer, the cook or the consumer, as well as sugars that are naturally present in honey, syrups, fruit juices and fruit concentrates.

Much of the sugars consumed today are “hidden” in processed foods that are not usually seen as sweets. For example, 1 tablespoon of ketchup contains around 4 grams (around 1 teaspoon) of sugars. A single can of sugar-sweetened soda contains up to 40 grams (around 10 teaspoons) of sugar.

The draft guideline was formulated based on analyses of all published scientific studies on the consumption of sugars and how that relates to excess weight gain and tooth decay in adults and children.

Papers published with findings of two systematic reviews (analyses of published scientific studies) commissioned by WHO that informed the development of the draft guidelines:

Tarik Jasarevic
WHO, Geneva
Communications Officer
Telephone: +41 22 791 5099
Mobile: +41 79367 6214
E-mail:jasarevict@who.int

Glenn Thomas
WHO, Geneva
WHO Communications Officer
Telephone: +41 22 791 3983
Mobile: +41 79 509 0677
E-mail:thomasg@who.int

View the original article here

WHO opens public consultation on draft sugars guideline

Posted by maghestra No comments

5 March 2014 | GENEVA - WHO is launching a public consultation on its draft guideline on sugars intake. When finalized, the guideline will provide countries with recommendations on limiting the consumption of sugars to reduce public health problems like obesity and dental caries (commonly referred to as tooth decay).

Comments on the draft guideline will be accepted via the WHO web site from 5 through 31 March 2014. Anyone who wishes to comment must submit a declaration of interests. An expert peer-review process will happen over the same period. Once the peer-review and public consultation are completed, all comments will be reviewed, the draft guidelines will be revised if necessary and cleared by WHO’s Guidelines Review Committee before being finalized.

WHO’s current recommendation, from 2002, is that sugars should make up less than 10% of total energy intake per day. The new draft guideline also proposes that sugars should be less than 10% of total energy intake per day. It further suggests that a reduction to below 5% of total energy intake per day would have additional benefits. Five per cent of total energy intake is equivalent to around 25 grams (around 6 teaspoons) of sugar per day for an adult of normal Body Mass Index (BMI).

The suggested limits on intake of sugars in the draft guideline apply to all monosaccharides (such as glucose, fructose) and disaccharides (such as sucrose or table sugar) that are added to food by the manufacturer, the cook or the consumer, as well as sugars that are naturally present in honey, syrups, fruit juices and fruit concentrates.

Much of the sugars consumed today are “hidden” in processed foods that are not usually seen as sweets. For example, 1 tablespoon of ketchup contains around 4 grams (around 1 teaspoon) of sugars. A single can of sugar-sweetened soda contains up to 40 grams (around 10 teaspoons) of sugar.

The draft guideline was formulated based on analyses of all published scientific studies on the consumption of sugars and how that relates to excess weight gain and tooth decay in adults and children.

Papers published with findings of two systematic reviews (analyses of published scientific studies) commissioned by WHO that informed the development of the draft guidelines:

Tarik Jasarevic
WHO, Geneva
Communications Officer
Telephone: +41 22 791 5099
Mobile: +41 79367 6214
E-mail:jasarevict@who.int

Glenn Thomas
WHO, Geneva
WHO Communications Officer
Telephone: +41 22 791 3983
Mobile: +41 79 509 0677
E-mail:thomasg@who.int

View the original article here

Researchers build the world’s most powerful terahertz laser chip

Researchers from the University of Leeds have built the world’s most powerful terahertz laser chip, setting a new record which more than doubles the output power recently achieved by a team from Vienna. The work has been funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).

A paper in the Institution of Engineering and Technology’s (IET) journal Electronics Letters reports that the Leeds team exceeded 1W output power from a terahertz quantum cascade laser.

Terahertz waves, which lie in the part of the electromagnetic spectrum between infrared and microwaves, can penetrate materials that block visible light and have a wide range of possible uses including chemical analysis, security scanning, medical imaging, and telecommunications.

Widely publicised potential applications include monitoring pharmaceutical products, the remote sensing of chemical signatures of drugs/explosives in unopened envelopes, and the non-invasive detection of cancers in the human body.

However, one of the main challenges for scientists and engineers is making the lasers powerful and compact enough to be useful.

Professor Edmund Linfield, Chair of Terahertz Electronics at the University of Leeds, said: “The process of making these lasers is extraordinarily delicate. Layers of different semiconductors such as gallium arsenide are built up one atomic monolayer at a time. We control the thickness and composition of each individual layer very accurately and build up a semiconductor material of between typically 1,000 and 2,000 layers. The record power of our new laser is due to the expertise that we have developed at Leeds in fabricating these layered semiconductors, together with our ability to engineer these materials subsequently into suitable and powerful laser devices.”

Professor Giles Davies, Chair of Electronic and Photonic Engineering, said: “The University of Leeds has been an international leader in terahertz engineering for many years. This work is a key step toward increasing the power of these lasers while keeping them compact and affordable enough to deliver the range of applications promised by terahertz technology.”

The news featured widely in specialist publications.

Reference: 19/14

View the original article here

Researchers build the world’s most powerful terahertz laser chip

Posted by maghestra No comments

Researchers from the University of Leeds have built the world’s most powerful terahertz laser chip, setting a new record which more than doubles the output power recently achieved by a team from Vienna. The work has been funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).

A paper in the Institution of Engineering and Technology’s (IET) journal Electronics Letters reports that the Leeds team exceeded 1W output power from a terahertz quantum cascade laser.

Terahertz waves, which lie in the part of the electromagnetic spectrum between infrared and microwaves, can penetrate materials that block visible light and have a wide range of possible uses including chemical analysis, security scanning, medical imaging, and telecommunications.

Widely publicised potential applications include monitoring pharmaceutical products, the remote sensing of chemical signatures of drugs/explosives in unopened envelopes, and the non-invasive detection of cancers in the human body.

However, one of the main challenges for scientists and engineers is making the lasers powerful and compact enough to be useful.

Professor Edmund Linfield, Chair of Terahertz Electronics at the University of Leeds, said: “The process of making these lasers is extraordinarily delicate. Layers of different semiconductors such as gallium arsenide are built up one atomic monolayer at a time. We control the thickness and composition of each individual layer very accurately and build up a semiconductor material of between typically 1,000 and 2,000 layers. The record power of our new laser is due to the expertise that we have developed at Leeds in fabricating these layered semiconductors, together with our ability to engineer these materials subsequently into suitable and powerful laser devices.”

Professor Giles Davies, Chair of Electronic and Photonic Engineering, said: “The University of Leeds has been an international leader in terahertz engineering for many years. This work is a key step toward increasing the power of these lasers while keeping them compact and affordable enough to deliver the range of applications promised by terahertz technology.”

The news featured widely in specialist publications.

Reference: 19/14

View the original article here

The end of an era - HECToR shuts down as ARCHER takes over

For the last six and a half years, the National Supercomputer HECToR has enabled a broad range of research in the EPSRC, NERC and BBSRC communities. For example, using HECToR has helped researchers to understand how lead-acid batteries in cars deliver current, given insight into questions relating to the Origin of Life and has contributed to a better understanding of the tropical climate. These, and more examples, of the tremendous impact that HECToR has made over its lifetime can be found on the HECToR website.

In December last year, HECToR’s successor ARCHER was fired up and is already proving a worthy successor.

HECToR users should note that HECToR will shut down on 21 March 2014 at 1800hrs. It is paramount that all data is taken off the machine in good time before this date. If you need assistance with transferring files to ARCHER or the co-located Research Data Facility, please don’t hesitate to contact the ARCHER helpdesk.

View the original article here

The end of an era - HECToR shuts down as ARCHER takes over

Posted by maghestra No comments

For the last six and a half years, the National Supercomputer HECToR has enabled a broad range of research in the EPSRC, NERC and BBSRC communities. For example, using HECToR has helped researchers to understand how lead-acid batteries in cars deliver current, given insight into questions relating to the Origin of Life and has contributed to a better understanding of the tropical climate. These, and more examples, of the tremendous impact that HECToR has made over its lifetime can be found on the HECToR website.

In December last year, HECToR’s successor ARCHER was fired up and is already proving a worthy successor.

HECToR users should note that HECToR will shut down on 21 March 2014 at 1800hrs. It is paramount that all data is taken off the machine in good time before this date. If you need assistance with transferring files to ARCHER or the co-located Research Data Facility, please don’t hesitate to contact the ARCHER helpdesk.

View the original article here

EPSRC Research Performance and Economic Impact Report 2012 - 2013

In 2012/13, EPSRC continued to invest in world-leading research and training to fuel long-term growth through active sponsorship of its £3.3 billion portfolio of research and training, including areas of research aligned to the UK Government’s Industrial Strategy. Over 50 per cent of our research portfolio is collaborative with users providing an additional investment of £555 million from industry, government departments, public sector organisations, independent research organisations and charities.

The EPSRC Research Performance and Economic Impact Report incorporates highlights from the year including an £85 million capital equipment investment for robotics and autonomous systems, advanced materials and energy storage technologies to drive UK growth; a unique five-year collaboration with Jaguar Land Rover to develop the capability of the virtual simulation industry in the UK; and an innovative heart rate monitor, resulting from blue-skies research, demonstrated by leading semiconductor company Plessey.

View the original article here

EPSRC Research Performance and Economic Impact Report 2012 - 2013

Posted by maghestra No comments

In 2012/13, EPSRC continued to invest in world-leading research and training to fuel long-term growth through active sponsorship of its £3.3 billion portfolio of research and training, including areas of research aligned to the UK Government’s Industrial Strategy. Over 50 per cent of our research portfolio is collaborative with users providing an additional investment of £555 million from industry, government departments, public sector organisations, independent research organisations and charities.

The EPSRC Research Performance and Economic Impact Report incorporates highlights from the year including an £85 million capital equipment investment for robotics and autonomous systems, advanced materials and energy storage technologies to drive UK growth; a unique five-year collaboration with Jaguar Land Rover to develop the capability of the virtual simulation industry in the UK; and an innovative heart rate monitor, resulting from blue-skies research, demonstrated by leading semiconductor company Plessey.

View the original article here

Top Ten Grantmaking Donors that Support Children’s Projects

We’ve selected ten of the world’s best grantmaking donors that support children’s projects around the world. All of the organizations featured offer financial support for NGOs that provide development projects for children as well as cross-cutting issues related to children.

For each donor we have included a brief description of the organization, its geographical coverage, areas of interest, application procedure and contact details.

Donors often change their funding priorities and eligibility criteria over time. Please check the official website of each donor for the very latest information before applying.

1. The Global Fund for Children

Brief Description: The Global Fund for Children works to transform the lives of the world’s most vulnerable children. The Fund provides small grants to innovative community-based organizations and harnessing the power of children’s books, films and documentary photography to promote global understanding.

Geographical Coverage: Bangladesh,  Bhutan,  Burkina Faso,  Ethiopia,  Ghana,  Haiti,  India, Kazakhstan,  Kenya,  Kyrgyzstan,  Laos,  Mexico,  Nepal,  Nigeria,  Sri Lanka,  Swaziland,  Tanzania,  Tunisia,  Uganda,  Ukraine,  United Kingdom,  United States

Area of Interest: Youth & Adolescents, Vocational Education, Education, Children, HIV/AIDS, Primary Education, Disability

Application Procedure: To apply NGOs must submit a preliminary letter of inquiry, which may be submitted at any time during the year. For more information please click here.

2. Dubai Cares

Brief: Dubai Cares awards grants to implement projects or activities in relation to primary education in developing countries worldwide. The grants are not awarded on a case-by-case basis. Rather, to be considered for funding, proposals should be consistent with Dubai Cares’ annual programming and approved list of intervention countries. While proposals are assessed throughout the year, only during the last quarter are the new programs for the upcoming year finalized and approved

Geograpical Coverage:  Afghanistan,  Angola,  Bangladesh,  Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cambodia,  Chad,  Comoros,  Djibouti,  Ethiopia,  Ghana,  Haiti,  India,  Indonesia,  Jordan   Laos,  Lebanon,  Lesotho,  Mali,  Mauritania, Nepal,  Niger,  Pakistan,  Palestinian Territories,  Philippines,  Sierra Leone,  South Africa,  South Sudan ,  Sri Lanka,  Sudan,  Yemen, Zambia,

Area of interest: Children, Education, Nutrition, Agriculture, Food & Nutrition

Application procedure: To ensure a thorough and fair assessment for partnerships with Dubai Cares, interested organizations should follow the process below:

• Provide general information on the organization, its mission, scope of work, operations and governance
• Submit previous years’ annual and audit reports
• Submit reports and assessments regarding previous or ongoing programs related to primary education
• Provide concept notes (3-4 pages) for projects that the organization would like  to consider

3. Waterloo Foundation

Brief Description: Waterloo Foundation gives grants to organizations in both the UK and world-wide. The Foundation is most interested in projects that help globally particularly in the areas of disparity of wealth, climate-related issues and child development.

Geographical Coverage: Ghana,  Lesotho,  Malawi,  Nepal,  Tanzania,  Zambia,  Zimbabwe, Europe and United Kingdom

Area of Interest: Secondary Education, Health, Education, Community Health, Climate Change, Water & Sanitation, Primary Education, Environment, Children, Natural Resources

Application Procedure:  The Waterloo Foundation accepts requests for funding under each of their Grant Programmes.  Each Grant Programme has specific requirements or deadlines which you must follow if submitting an application for funding. For more information click here.

4. UPS Foundation

Brief Description: The UPS Foundation focuses its investment strategy around four pillars aligned with its corporate values and business expertise: Diversity, Community Safety, Environment, and Volunteerism. The Foundation is committed to leveraging business expertise and resources to help deliver innovative and sustainable solutions to address some of the world’s most pressing challenges.

Geographical Coverage: Global

Area of Interest: Accidents & Traffic Safety, Children, Democracy & Good Governance, Economic Development, Education, Environment, Health, Humanitarian Relief, Youth & Adolescents, Conservation, Health care

Application Procedure: A written proposal, proof of tax exempt status and reflections of specific project must be submitted to the following address by September 1st: Kenneth Sternad, The UPS Foundation 55 Glenlake Pkwy NE Atlanta, GA 30328

5. Sylvia Adams Charitable Trust

Brief Description: The trust provides grants to organizations registered in the United Kingdom. They support organizations that work with children and young people, those with a disability, living in poverty or who are disadvantaged in Hertfordshire.

Geographical Coverage: Kenya,  Tanzania,  Uganda,  United Kingdom

Area of Interest: Youth & Adolescents, Children, Disability

Application Procedure: You can submit your application only electronically. The Trust will usually let respond within one month to indicate whether you should submit a full application.

6. The EDF Foundation

Brief Description: The EDF Foundation’s mission is to primarily support the development of targeted and specific programs to help young people find their place in society. The Foundation also supports solidarity initiatives in France and around the world by supporting the actors involved.

Geographical Coverage: Global

Area of Interest: Children, Education, Employment & Labor, Environment, Science, Youth & Adolescents, Energy, Tertiary & Higher Education

Application Procedure: For application information, please visit: http://fondation.edf.com/presentez_un_projet

7.  A M Qattan Foundation

Brief Description: The A M Qattan Foundation an independent, not-for-profit developmental institution is working in the culture and education sectors targeting a variety of social groups, particularly children, teachers and young artists.

Geographical Coverage: Lebanon, Palestinian Territories

Area of Interest: Arts & Culture, Children, Education, Social Sciences, Youth & Adolescents, Literature, Performing Arts

Application Procedure: Each funding programme has a different application procedure. For full details click here.

8.  Children for Tomorrow

Brief Description: Children for Tomorrow is a non-profit foundation with the aim of supporting children and families who have become victims of war, persecution and organized violence The foundation endeavors to provide support in the process of emotional recovery for children who have experienced various forms of violence

Geographical Coverage: Afghanistan, Congo   DR, Germany, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Pakistan, Somalia, Syria,

Area of Interest: Children, Immigration, Narcotics, Drugs & Crime, Violence Prevention

Application Procedure: Grants are offered seasonally in different issue areas. For further information click here.

9. Sanofi Espoir

Brief Description: The mission of the Fondation Sanofi Espoir is to help in reducing healthcare inequalities, particularly among the world’s most needy communities.

Geographical Coverage: Algeria,  Angola,  Benin,  Bolivia,  Brazil,  Burkina Faso,  Burundi,  Cameroon,  Chad,  Colombia,  Congo DR,  Cote D’Ivoire (Ivory Coast),  Egypt,  Equatorial Guinea,  Ethiopia,  France,  Guinea,  Honduras,  India,  Kenya,  Madagascar,  Mali,  Mauritania,  Mongolia,  Morocco,  Mozambique,  Nepal,  Nicaragua,  Niger,  Pakistan,  Panama,  Paraguay,  Peru,  Philippines,  Senegal,  South Africa,  Tanzania,  Thailand,  Togo,  Uganda,  Venezuela

Area of Interest: Children, Economic Development, Health, Livelihood, Health care, Reproductive Health & Family Planning

Application Procedure: The Foundation funds only those projects which comply with the objectives of the Foundation. For more information click here.

10. On His Path Foundation

Brief Description: On His Path is a private, non-profit foundation, which was formed in 2009 by John and Jean Mitchell, for the purpose of manufacturing and distributing superior low-cost clubfoot braces for the disabled in developing countries.

Geographical Coverage: Antigua And Barbuda,  Guatemala,  Haiti,  United States,

Area of Interest: Children, Disability

Application Procedure: The Foundation is currently accepting grant requests for the 2014 giving cycle. For more details on the application process please click here.

Written by Said Shah, Edited by Robin Toal

Top Ten Grantmaking Donors that Support Children’s Projects

Posted by maghestra No comments

We’ve selected ten of the world’s best grantmaking donors that support children’s projects around the world. All of the organizations featured offer financial support for NGOs that provide development projects for children as well as cross-cutting issues related to children.

For each donor we have included a brief description of the organization, its geographical coverage, areas of interest, application procedure and contact details.

Donors often change their funding priorities and eligibility criteria over time. Please check the official website of each donor for the very latest information before applying.

1. The Global Fund for Children

Brief Description: The Global Fund for Children works to transform the lives of the world’s most vulnerable children. The Fund provides small grants to innovative community-based organizations and harnessing the power of children’s books, films and documentary photography to promote global understanding.

Geographical Coverage: Bangladesh,  Bhutan,  Burkina Faso,  Ethiopia,  Ghana,  Haiti,  India, Kazakhstan,  Kenya,  Kyrgyzstan,  Laos,  Mexico,  Nepal,  Nigeria,  Sri Lanka,  Swaziland,  Tanzania,  Tunisia,  Uganda,  Ukraine,  United Kingdom,  United States

Area of Interest: Youth & Adolescents, Vocational Education, Education, Children, HIV/AIDS, Primary Education, Disability

Application Procedure: To apply NGOs must submit a preliminary letter of inquiry, which may be submitted at any time during the year. For more information please click here.

2. Dubai Cares

Brief: Dubai Cares awards grants to implement projects or activities in relation to primary education in developing countries worldwide. The grants are not awarded on a case-by-case basis. Rather, to be considered for funding, proposals should be consistent with Dubai Cares’ annual programming and approved list of intervention countries. While proposals are assessed throughout the year, only during the last quarter are the new programs for the upcoming year finalized and approved

Geograpical Coverage:  Afghanistan,  Angola,  Bangladesh,  Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cambodia,  Chad,  Comoros,  Djibouti,  Ethiopia,  Ghana,  Haiti,  India,  Indonesia,  Jordan   Laos,  Lebanon,  Lesotho,  Mali,  Mauritania, Nepal,  Niger,  Pakistan,  Palestinian Territories,  Philippines,  Sierra Leone,  South Africa,  South Sudan ,  Sri Lanka,  Sudan,  Yemen, Zambia,

Area of interest: Children, Education, Nutrition, Agriculture, Food & Nutrition

Application procedure: To ensure a thorough and fair assessment for partnerships with Dubai Cares, interested organizations should follow the process below:

• Provide general information on the organization, its mission, scope of work, operations and governance
• Submit previous years’ annual and audit reports
• Submit reports and assessments regarding previous or ongoing programs related to primary education
• Provide concept notes (3-4 pages) for projects that the organization would like  to consider

3. Waterloo Foundation

Brief Description: Waterloo Foundation gives grants to organizations in both the UK and world-wide. The Foundation is most interested in projects that help globally particularly in the areas of disparity of wealth, climate-related issues and child development.

Geographical Coverage: Ghana,  Lesotho,  Malawi,  Nepal,  Tanzania,  Zambia,  Zimbabwe, Europe and United Kingdom

Area of Interest: Secondary Education, Health, Education, Community Health, Climate Change, Water & Sanitation, Primary Education, Environment, Children, Natural Resources

Application Procedure:  The Waterloo Foundation accepts requests for funding under each of their Grant Programmes.  Each Grant Programme has specific requirements or deadlines which you must follow if submitting an application for funding. For more information click here.

4. UPS Foundation

Brief Description: The UPS Foundation focuses its investment strategy around four pillars aligned with its corporate values and business expertise: Diversity, Community Safety, Environment, and Volunteerism. The Foundation is committed to leveraging business expertise and resources to help deliver innovative and sustainable solutions to address some of the world’s most pressing challenges.

Geographical Coverage: Global

Area of Interest: Accidents & Traffic Safety, Children, Democracy & Good Governance, Economic Development, Education, Environment, Health, Humanitarian Relief, Youth & Adolescents, Conservation, Health care

Application Procedure: A written proposal, proof of tax exempt status and reflections of specific project must be submitted to the following address by September 1st: Kenneth Sternad, The UPS Foundation 55 Glenlake Pkwy NE Atlanta, GA 30328

5. Sylvia Adams Charitable Trust

Brief Description: The trust provides grants to organizations registered in the United Kingdom. They support organizations that work with children and young people, those with a disability, living in poverty or who are disadvantaged in Hertfordshire.

Geographical Coverage: Kenya,  Tanzania,  Uganda,  United Kingdom

Area of Interest: Youth & Adolescents, Children, Disability

Application Procedure: You can submit your application only electronically. The Trust will usually let respond within one month to indicate whether you should submit a full application.

6. The EDF Foundation

Brief Description: The EDF Foundation’s mission is to primarily support the development of targeted and specific programs to help young people find their place in society. The Foundation also supports solidarity initiatives in France and around the world by supporting the actors involved.

Geographical Coverage: Global

Area of Interest: Children, Education, Employment & Labor, Environment, Science, Youth & Adolescents, Energy, Tertiary & Higher Education

Application Procedure: For application information, please visit: http://fondation.edf.com/presentez_un_projet

7.  A M Qattan Foundation

Brief Description: The A M Qattan Foundation an independent, not-for-profit developmental institution is working in the culture and education sectors targeting a variety of social groups, particularly children, teachers and young artists.

Geographical Coverage: Lebanon, Palestinian Territories

Area of Interest: Arts & Culture, Children, Education, Social Sciences, Youth & Adolescents, Literature, Performing Arts

Application Procedure: Each funding programme has a different application procedure. For full details click here.

8.  Children for Tomorrow

Brief Description: Children for Tomorrow is a non-profit foundation with the aim of supporting children and families who have become victims of war, persecution and organized violence The foundation endeavors to provide support in the process of emotional recovery for children who have experienced various forms of violence

Geographical Coverage: Afghanistan, Congo   DR, Germany, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Pakistan, Somalia, Syria,

Area of Interest: Children, Immigration, Narcotics, Drugs & Crime, Violence Prevention

Application Procedure: Grants are offered seasonally in different issue areas. For further information click here.

9. Sanofi Espoir

Brief Description: The mission of the Fondation Sanofi Espoir is to help in reducing healthcare inequalities, particularly among the world’s most needy communities.

Geographical Coverage: Algeria,  Angola,  Benin,  Bolivia,  Brazil,  Burkina Faso,  Burundi,  Cameroon,  Chad,  Colombia,  Congo DR,  Cote D’Ivoire (Ivory Coast),  Egypt,  Equatorial Guinea,  Ethiopia,  France,  Guinea,  Honduras,  India,  Kenya,  Madagascar,  Mali,  Mauritania,  Mongolia,  Morocco,  Mozambique,  Nepal,  Nicaragua,  Niger,  Pakistan,  Panama,  Paraguay,  Peru,  Philippines,  Senegal,  South Africa,  Tanzania,  Thailand,  Togo,  Uganda,  Venezuela

Area of Interest: Children, Economic Development, Health, Livelihood, Health care, Reproductive Health & Family Planning

Application Procedure: The Foundation funds only those projects which comply with the objectives of the Foundation. For more information click here.

10. On His Path Foundation

Brief Description: On His Path is a private, non-profit foundation, which was formed in 2009 by John and Jean Mitchell, for the purpose of manufacturing and distributing superior low-cost clubfoot braces for the disabled in developing countries.

Geographical Coverage: Antigua And Barbuda,  Guatemala,  Haiti,  United States,

Area of Interest: Children, Disability

Application Procedure: The Foundation is currently accepting grant requests for the 2014 giving cycle. For more details on the application process please click here.

Written by Said Shah, Edited by Robin Toal

Funding Resources for Ukrainian NGOs

With the recent ousting of President Viktor Yanukovych, Ukrainian civil society faces new and increasing threats of war, human rights violations, as well as economic and political instability. Growing media attention on the current situation in Ukraine also draws interest from institutional donors in funding local NGOs working on human rights, civil society development, peace and democracy, and good governance. This resource guide provides resources and tips to help Ukrainian NGOs identify sources of funding for their work.

US Foundations:
Between 2011 and 2013, US Foundations alone provided over $5 million in grants to NGOs working on various issues in Ukraine, including: economic development, children and youth, religion, civil society development, business/industry development, among many more. Funding from the US is likely to increase substantially in the upcoming months as interested donors begin channeling resources in support of Ukrainian organizations. Below are the top 3 US

Foundations providing grants to Ukraine:
1. Charles Stewart Mott Foundation
The Charles Stewart Mott Foundation works to fulfill its mission of supporting efforts that promote a just, equitable and sustainable society. With total assets of over $2 billion in 2013, the Foundation makes grants to NGOs working in Western Former Soviet Union on civil society, including the strengthening of philanthropy and the development of community foundations.
2. Coca Cola Foundation
Based in the US with regional/local foundations for Europe located in Spain and Norway, the Coca Cola Foundation supports initiatives worldwide working on water stewardship, healthy and active lifestyles, and education. In Africa, Europe, Latin America, North America and the Pacific, the Foundation also supports education and student scholarship, as well as HIV/AIDS prevention and awareness programs.
3. Omidyar Network Fund
A philanthropic investment fund created by eBay founder, Pierre Omidyar, Omidyar Network Fund supports economic and social change through the following initiatives: Consumer Internet & Mobile, Entrepreneurship, Financial Inclusion, Government Transparency, and Property Rights. In 2011, before the Ukrainian revolution, the Fund supported a local NGO working on human rights, governance and public policy.

Tools and resources:
Ukrainian Women’s Fund
Founded in 2000, the Ukrainian Women’s Fund is an international charity working to support civil society organizations, particularly women’s organizations, working on equality, justice and the realization of human rights. The Ukrainian Women’s Fund is not a grantmaking entity; however, it provides financial information and advice to NGOs working on women’s issues in Ukraine, Moldova, and Belarus.
Ukrainian Philanthropists Forum
Ukraine’s first professional association of charitable foundations and organizations and founded in 2004, this forum provides information and publications of fundraising, charity rules, and a monthly newsletter to subscribed members.

Foundation Center Interactive Map of Direct Grants by U.S. Grantmakers made to Non- U.S. Recipients
Using the US Foundation Center’s Interactive Map of Direct Grants to Non-US recipients, NGOs can identify like-minded organizations as well information and contact details of US foundations interested in funding similar issues in Ukraine.
The latest funding opportunities in Ukraine on FundsforNGOs
Learn the secrets behind Grant Fundraising for Women’s and Girls Issues in FundsforNGOs Webinar

Source : FundsforNGOs By Robin Toal 

Funding Resources for Ukrainian NGOs

Posted by maghestra No comments

With the recent ousting of President Viktor Yanukovych, Ukrainian civil society faces new and increasing threats of war, human rights violations, as well as economic and political instability. Growing media attention on the current situation in Ukraine also draws interest from institutional donors in funding local NGOs working on human rights, civil society development, peace and democracy, and good governance. This resource guide provides resources and tips to help Ukrainian NGOs identify sources of funding for their work.

US Foundations:
Between 2011 and 2013, US Foundations alone provided over $5 million in grants to NGOs working on various issues in Ukraine, including: economic development, children and youth, religion, civil society development, business/industry development, among many more. Funding from the US is likely to increase substantially in the upcoming months as interested donors begin channeling resources in support of Ukrainian organizations. Below are the top 3 US

Foundations providing grants to Ukraine:
1. Charles Stewart Mott Foundation
The Charles Stewart Mott Foundation works to fulfill its mission of supporting efforts that promote a just, equitable and sustainable society. With total assets of over $2 billion in 2013, the Foundation makes grants to NGOs working in Western Former Soviet Union on civil society, including the strengthening of philanthropy and the development of community foundations.
2. Coca Cola Foundation
Based in the US with regional/local foundations for Europe located in Spain and Norway, the Coca Cola Foundation supports initiatives worldwide working on water stewardship, healthy and active lifestyles, and education. In Africa, Europe, Latin America, North America and the Pacific, the Foundation also supports education and student scholarship, as well as HIV/AIDS prevention and awareness programs.
3. Omidyar Network Fund
A philanthropic investment fund created by eBay founder, Pierre Omidyar, Omidyar Network Fund supports economic and social change through the following initiatives: Consumer Internet & Mobile, Entrepreneurship, Financial Inclusion, Government Transparency, and Property Rights. In 2011, before the Ukrainian revolution, the Fund supported a local NGO working on human rights, governance and public policy.

Tools and resources:
Ukrainian Women’s Fund
Founded in 2000, the Ukrainian Women’s Fund is an international charity working to support civil society organizations, particularly women’s organizations, working on equality, justice and the realization of human rights. The Ukrainian Women’s Fund is not a grantmaking entity; however, it provides financial information and advice to NGOs working on women’s issues in Ukraine, Moldova, and Belarus.
Ukrainian Philanthropists Forum
Ukraine’s first professional association of charitable foundations and organizations and founded in 2004, this forum provides information and publications of fundraising, charity rules, and a monthly newsletter to subscribed members.

Foundation Center Interactive Map of Direct Grants by U.S. Grantmakers made to Non- U.S. Recipients
Using the US Foundation Center’s Interactive Map of Direct Grants to Non-US recipients, NGOs can identify like-minded organizations as well information and contact details of US foundations interested in funding similar issues in Ukraine.
The latest funding opportunities in Ukraine on FundsforNGOs
Learn the secrets behind Grant Fundraising for Women’s and Girls Issues in FundsforNGOs Webinar

Source : FundsforNGOs By Robin Toal 

Gerda Henkel Stiftung

The Gerda Henkel Stiftung foundation is a nonprofit organization that supports projects in the humanities. It supports research by scholars around the world and awards scholarships especially to up and coming scholars

Review of applications usually occurs in April and November.

In 2012, the organization distributed the following categories of grants: <11% Legal History, History of Science, Prehistory and Early History, Islamic Studies, miscellaneous, and Archaeology; 13% Art History; 16.9% Interdisciplinary Projects; and 40+% History.

Current grant programs include:

• Fellowships with various universities in the U.S., the U.K., France, and Germany.
• Program M4Human for Experienced Researchers in Historical Humanities and Islamic Studies
• PhD Scholarships
• Research Grants
• Special Program in Security, Society, and the State
• Special Program in Islam, the Modern Nation State and Transnational Movements
• Special Program in Central Asia

Gerda Henkel Stiftung
Malkastenstrabe 15
40211 Dusseldorf, Germany
Web: http://www.gerda-henkel-stiftung.de/

Gerda Henkel Stiftung

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The Gerda Henkel Stiftung foundation is a nonprofit organization that supports projects in the humanities. It supports research by scholars around the world and awards scholarships especially to up and coming scholars

Review of applications usually occurs in April and November.

In 2012, the organization distributed the following categories of grants: <11% Legal History, History of Science, Prehistory and Early History, Islamic Studies, miscellaneous, and Archaeology; 13% Art History; 16.9% Interdisciplinary Projects; and 40+% History.

Current grant programs include:

• Fellowships with various universities in the U.S., the U.K., France, and Germany.
• Program M4Human for Experienced Researchers in Historical Humanities and Islamic Studies
• PhD Scholarships
• Research Grants
• Special Program in Security, Society, and the State
• Special Program in Islam, the Modern Nation State and Transnational Movements
• Special Program in Central Asia

Gerda Henkel Stiftung
Malkastenstrabe 15
40211 Dusseldorf, Germany
Web: http://www.gerda-henkel-stiftung.de/

Association of German Foundations

The Association of German Foundations is an organization that represents about 20,000 foundations in Germany. It is the largest and oldest foundation association in Europe. As nonprofit, it is an umbrella organization that works on behalf of member organizations.

The Association of German Foundations is a good organization to find out trends and current projects occurring in the nonprofit world in Germany.

The organization provides several publications including the Stiftungs Report (update on how foundations are meeting needs of societal problems); StiftungsWelt (magazine providing updates, news, and tips for nonprofits); and the German Foundations Directory (comprehensive directory of foundations in Germany) that is available for purchase on the Association’s website.

Association of German Foundations
Haus Deutscher Stiftungen
Mauerstr. 93
10117  Berlin, Germany
http://www.stiftungen.org/en/association-of-german-foundations.html

Association of German Foundations

Posted by maghestra No comments

The Association of German Foundations is an organization that represents about 20,000 foundations in Germany. It is the largest and oldest foundation association in Europe. As nonprofit, it is an umbrella organization that works on behalf of member organizations.

The Association of German Foundations is a good organization to find out trends and current projects occurring in the nonprofit world in Germany.

The organization provides several publications including the Stiftungs Report (update on how foundations are meeting needs of societal problems); StiftungsWelt (magazine providing updates, news, and tips for nonprofits); and the German Foundations Directory (comprehensive directory of foundations in Germany) that is available for purchase on the Association’s website.

Association of German Foundations
Haus Deutscher Stiftungen
Mauerstr. 93
10117  Berlin, Germany
http://www.stiftungen.org/en/association-of-german-foundations.html

Siemens Stiftung (Foundation)

The Siemens Stiftung Foundation is the foundation of the Siemens Corporation. Its goal is to promote positive social change by funding opportunities that encourage social and economic engagement. The Foundation focuses on projects in education (science and technology, language development and integration), culture (performing arts and music), social entrepreneurship (water and energy, environment and cooperative farming, social entrepreneurship and knowledge sharing), and basic needs. Projects are developed in Africa, Europe, and Latin America. Current projects include: developing better water quality through filter systems for Achocalla, early childhood STEM education, and creating interactive language software.

The Foundation offers several funding opportunities such as: the Empowering People Award, a Student Competition for researching scientific solutions, and the Music in Africa Project.

Siemens Stiftung

Kaiserstraße 16
80801 Munich, Germany

Website:  http://www.siemens-stiftung.org

Siemens Stiftung (Foundation)

Posted by maghestra No comments

The Siemens Stiftung Foundation is the foundation of the Siemens Corporation. Its goal is to promote positive social change by funding opportunities that encourage social and economic engagement. The Foundation focuses on projects in education (science and technology, language development and integration), culture (performing arts and music), social entrepreneurship (water and energy, environment and cooperative farming, social entrepreneurship and knowledge sharing), and basic needs. Projects are developed in Africa, Europe, and Latin America. Current projects include: developing better water quality through filter systems for Achocalla, early childhood STEM education, and creating interactive language software.

The Foundation offers several funding opportunities such as: the Empowering People Award, a Student Competition for researching scientific solutions, and the Music in Africa Project.

Siemens Stiftung

Kaiserstraße 16
80801 Munich, Germany

Website:  http://www.siemens-stiftung.org

How to summarize a Full Proposal into a Short Concept Note

The submission of concept notes is increasingly becoming the first step in the application for funding to the main agencies and private donors. This is how your potential donor will make the first selection among a large group of project proposals to assess their potential. Accordingly, concept notes could be solicited directly by the donor, but they could also become the way in which an NGO approaches a potential sponsor to test their interest in the NGO’s ongoing activities. Thus, concept notes must be clear, specific, and attractive to the reader.

Concept notes are a shorter version of a project proposal and their length typically spans from 3 to 5 pages (if the sponsor you are approaching does not give a clear indication, keep it to 3 pages; the shorter the better). The main difficulty with writing concept notes is producing a summary that simultaneously catches the attention of the reader and elaborates the main issues at stake, all the while keeping the amount of information given at minimum. Do not overwhelm the reader. The concept notes must capture the audience’s attention and make your potential sponsor curious about your project, and willing to get to know you and your ideas better.

Start with an eye-catching title.

First paragraph: background of the project. Explain why this project is important, for whom, and what has already been done in the selected field of intervention.

Second paragraph: objectives and beneficiaries. Limit your objectives to a maximum of three. Remember that your objectives must be connected to the background of the project. Once you have singled out the problems you are targeting, be specific about how your project will address these problems and what the desired results will be. It is important to be specific and clear about each of your objectives and explain who will benefit from the development of the project. Specify who your target group is, why it is important to work with this target group, and how the participants in the project will benefit from your activities. Remember that on the one hand, the target group will receive immediate benefits from the completion of the projects (such as attending workshops, training etc) but also the community will benefit from the various projects implemented by your NGO in the long run. Accordingly, write a sentence explaining how this project will benefit your community by looking at the big picture (you can address the social, political or economic situation of your community and link this project with the main goals of your NGO).

Third paragraph: outputs. For each of your objectives there must be an output. It is of crucial importance that the donor understands how your objectives are to be assessed in order to monitor the development of the project and its results; therefore outputs must be concrete and tangible.

Fourth paragraph: activities and duration. The activities are the ways in which your objectives will produce an output. Accordingly, activities must be concrete and they should give an idea of how you aim to reach a given goal. Importantly, each activity must have a beginning and end point, so make sure they all have a set duration, which will depend on the length of the overall project.

Fifth paragraph: monitoring and evaluation. How will the donor assess the results of your project? Elaborate on the methods necessary in order to enable your sponsor to monitor the development of the project and to evaluate its partial and final results in a practical way (how do you measure the fulfilment of set objectives?)

Include a budget only if specifically required.

How to summarize a Full Proposal into a Short Concept Note

Posted by maghestra No comments

The submission of concept notes is increasingly becoming the first step in the application for funding to the main agencies and private donors. This is how your potential donor will make the first selection among a large group of project proposals to assess their potential. Accordingly, concept notes could be solicited directly by the donor, but they could also become the way in which an NGO approaches a potential sponsor to test their interest in the NGO’s ongoing activities. Thus, concept notes must be clear, specific, and attractive to the reader.

Concept notes are a shorter version of a project proposal and their length typically spans from 3 to 5 pages (if the sponsor you are approaching does not give a clear indication, keep it to 3 pages; the shorter the better). The main difficulty with writing concept notes is producing a summary that simultaneously catches the attention of the reader and elaborates the main issues at stake, all the while keeping the amount of information given at minimum. Do not overwhelm the reader. The concept notes must capture the audience’s attention and make your potential sponsor curious about your project, and willing to get to know you and your ideas better.

Start with an eye-catching title.

First paragraph: background of the project. Explain why this project is important, for whom, and what has already been done in the selected field of intervention.

Second paragraph: objectives and beneficiaries. Limit your objectives to a maximum of three. Remember that your objectives must be connected to the background of the project. Once you have singled out the problems you are targeting, be specific about how your project will address these problems and what the desired results will be. It is important to be specific and clear about each of your objectives and explain who will benefit from the development of the project. Specify who your target group is, why it is important to work with this target group, and how the participants in the project will benefit from your activities. Remember that on the one hand, the target group will receive immediate benefits from the completion of the projects (such as attending workshops, training etc) but also the community will benefit from the various projects implemented by your NGO in the long run. Accordingly, write a sentence explaining how this project will benefit your community by looking at the big picture (you can address the social, political or economic situation of your community and link this project with the main goals of your NGO).

Third paragraph: outputs. For each of your objectives there must be an output. It is of crucial importance that the donor understands how your objectives are to be assessed in order to monitor the development of the project and its results; therefore outputs must be concrete and tangible.

Fourth paragraph: activities and duration. The activities are the ways in which your objectives will produce an output. Accordingly, activities must be concrete and they should give an idea of how you aim to reach a given goal. Importantly, each activity must have a beginning and end point, so make sure they all have a set duration, which will depend on the length of the overall project.

Fifth paragraph: monitoring and evaluation. How will the donor assess the results of your project? Elaborate on the methods necessary in order to enable your sponsor to monitor the development of the project and to evaluate its partial and final results in a practical way (how do you measure the fulfilment of set objectives?)

Include a budget only if specifically required.