# Health, Air Pollution, and Population Initiative in Education and Science Training (HAPPIEST)

> **NIH NIH R25** · UTAH STATE HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM--UNIVERSITY OF UTAH · 2022 · $107,660

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
The overall goal of this project is to train University of Utah (UOU) undergraduate students from
underrepresented racial/ethnic backgrounds in air pollution-related health research through a faculty-mentored
summer program called Health, Air Pollution and Population Initiative in Education and Science Training
(HAPPIEST). Since exposure to air pollution is magnified in racial/ethnic minority communities in the US, it is
imperative to engage members of these communities—especially college students interested in STEM
research—in addressing the complex problems caused by poor air quality and environmental inequity. Specific
aims are to:
 1. Implement a comprehensive strategy to recruit UOU students from underrepresented backgrounds
 into the HAPPIEST R25 program.
 2. Immerse undergraduate students in a mentoring “community of practice” founded on an
 interdisciplinary, team-based approach to environmental health research, specifically as it relates to
 air pollution.
 3. Utilize formative and summative evaluation to improve the quality and effectiveness of HAPPIEST as
 well as inform future undergraduate research training programs that aim to increase the participation of
 underrepresented groups in NIEHS-related research.
The “community of practice” is comprised of four research teams, each with two undergraduate students, one
graduate student training coordinator, and at least one faculty mentor. Teams will work on locally-relevant air
pollution and health research, with the potential for interdisciplinary integration across teams. HAPPIEST will
serve a total of forty undergraduates over the five years of the project. The program directors will implement
strategic activities for student recruitment, research training, professional development, and mentoring. Using
an asset-oriented approach designed to build on student strengths, HAPPIEST activities will prepare students
for placement into competitive graduate programs in the environmental health sciences. The project is of great

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10364754
- **Project number:** 5R25ES031497-02
- **Recipient organization:** UTAH STATE HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM--UNIVERSITY OF UTAH
- **Principal Investigator:** Timothy William Collins
- **Activity code:** R25 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $107,660
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2021-03-05 → 2026-02-28

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10364754

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10364754, Health, Air Pollution, and Population Initiative in Education and Science Training (HAPPIEST) (5R25ES031497-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10364754. Licensed CC0.

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