FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 28, 2023
PHONE: 769-216-2455
Jackson – My Brother’s Keeper Inc. (MBK) is proud to announce that it has been selected to receive a 2023 National Institutes of Health (NIH) ComPASS Award. The NIH Common Fund Community Partnerships to Advance Science for Society (ComPASS) Program is a pioneering community-led research program aimed at investigating ways to address the underlying structural factors within communities that impact health. These factors encompass access to safe spaces, healthy food, employment opportunities, transportation, and quality healthcare. The NIH's announcement on Wednesday revealed 26 recipients from across the nation.
With this prestigious award, MBK will initiate research into sustainable solutions that promote health equity, fostering lasting change in Mississippi. MBK is committed to collaborating as an equal partner with the ComPASS program in this unprecedented opportunity. This initiative marks a meaningful collaboration as MBK and its esteemed partners, including the University of Mississippi Medical Center, the University of Southern Mississippi, and the Mississippi State Department of Health, embark on the Achieving Optimal Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRWH) Project Among Racial/Ethnic and Sexual/Gender Minorities in Mississippi.
The SRWH Project has been meticulously designed to address the reproductive healthcare needs of adults in the reproductive age group (18 to 45 years old) who identify as racial/ethnic and sexual/gender minorities. The project's primary objective is to eliminate the racialized prioritization of needs in our largely rural state. It will employ more nuanced markers of social vulnerability to identify priority areas. As emphasized by MBK President and CEO, Dr. June Gipson, "Our approach, a community-based participatory approach, ensures that the very lives we aim to improve have the leading voice in this project."
The ComPASS program is generously funded by the NIH Common Fund and is collaboratively managed by NIH staff from the Common Fund, National Cancer Institute, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, National Institute of Nursing Research, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, and the NIH Office of Research on Women's Health. Many of the NIH Institutes, Centers, and Offices have played a pivotal role by providing input and actively participating in program development and management.
This award signifies not only a significant achievement for MBK but also a testament to the dedication of our partners and the importance of community-led research in addressing health disparities. We look forward to the impactful work ahead and the positive changes it will bring to Mississippi's communities. Thank you for your continued support and commitment to advancing science for the betterment of society. More information is available on the ComPASS program website: https://commonfund.nih.gov/compass. NIH Award No. OT2OD035877.
For more information, press only:
Kendra Wright
769-216-2455, Ext. 115
For more information about NIH ComPASS:
Sara Amolegbe