UT System announces four recipients of its Grand Challenges Grants Type 2 Competition
By addressing addiction, advancing education, and strengthening rural communities, the Grand Challenges grant winners are poised to create lasting benefits for Tennessee residents.
The University of Tennessee (UT) System has announced the recipients of the Grand Challenges Grants Type 2 Competition, an initiative designed to tackle some of the most pressing issues facing Tennessee and beyond. This year’s projects highlight the UT System’s commitment to research, collaboration, and delivering impactful solutions that transform lives across the state.
To qualify for these grants, teams had to meet rigorous criteria, including:
- Comprising faculty and staff from more than one UT System campus;
- Partnering with a community organization to enhance collaboration and impact; and
- Demonstrating innovation, sustainability, and significant potential for long-term effects.
“These grants are a testament to the transformative power of collaboration,” said UT System President Randy Boyd. “By leveraging expertise across our campuses and working with community partners, we’re addressing some of Tennessee’s toughest challenges head-on. I’m inspired by the creativity, dedication, and potential of these projects to make a real difference for Tennesseans.”
The winning projects, categorized by their focus areas, include:
Overcoming Addiction
Project: Pain Sensitivity, Pain Affect
This project examines how pain, stress and craving influence methamphetamine and opioid use in Tennessee. By identifying key factors contributing to relapse, the team aims to develop strategies for more effective addiction treatment and recovery support.
Advancing K-12 Education
Project: The Grow Your Own Collaboratory
This initiative, supported by faculty and staff from across the UT System, focuses on improving teacher retention in Tennessee. The project will design and implement a sustainable, co-created mentor-teacher professional development program, using experimental research to evaluate its impact. The long-term goal is to scale the program through the Tennessee Grow Your Own Center.
Strengthening Rural Communities
Project: The RAIL (Rural Assessment and Intervention Library) System
This project addresses the unique challenges faced by rural school psychologists in Tennessee. By providing access to assessments, interventions, multilingual protocols, and expert consultations, the RAIL System will empower school psychologists to better support students with learning differences and disabilities.
Project: On the Road to Better Health
This initiative aims to improve rural health outcomes and expand the rural health care workforce in Tennessee. Through a nursing-led, multidisciplinary collaboration, three One UT-branded rural health units will deliver community outreach, health education and workforce training to underserved areas.
These $500,000 grants highlight the UT System’s mission to serve the state through research, innovation, and outreach. By addressing addiction, advancing education, and strengthening rural communities, the Grand Challenges grant winners are poised to create lasting benefits for Tennessee residents.
Like what you've read?
Forward to a friend!