The work funded by this grant aims to establish priorities and mechanisms for future health equity programs, placing Flint residents at the forefront of health research and decision-making. This multi-year research program ensures that Flint residents will have a voice in shaping health programs and policies that impact their lives and those of others across the United States.

The grant supports the Charles Stewart Mott Department of Public Health, the first academic department to adopt a co-created and co-governed public health model in which community members and university experts collaborate as equal partners. By integrating community partnership into the department's core structure, local input guides public health efforts, leading to more effective and sustainable solutions for the community.

The MSU HERA program team is led by Nadia Abuelezam, associate professor of family medicine, and Kent Key, associate professor of public health and associate chair for community-partnered institutional administration. The team will work in close partnership with each of the three coordinating centers to serve as thought leaders, co-designing funding mechanisms and health equity research priorities with RWJF.