# VetaHumanz Need Vaccines Too!

> **NIH NIH R25** · PURDUE UNIVERSITY · 2021 · $54,000

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
T he parent grant, See Us-Be Us, responds to critical gaps in K-1 2 ST EM education, by increasing (1 ) v isibility of
veterinary role models diverse in race and ethnicity, (2) access to veterinary STEM educational materials, and
(3) access to experiential learning opportunities. Since the start of funding on September 1, 2020, the
veterinary STEM ecosystem proposed in the parent grant has expanded beyond academia by transforming into
a veterinary superhero league, The League of VetaHumanz. VetaHumanz are human beings (veterinarians)
with superpowers who protect animal and public health. As a nation, we face the challenge of increasing
vaccine acceptance by underserved populations who have been disproportionately impacted by SARS-CoV-2,
lack access to healthcare, and have a longstanding mistrust of medical establishments resulting from a history
abuse and exploitation. This administrative supplement, VetaHumanz Need Vaccines Too!, aims to promote
SARS-CoV-2 vaccination uptake in underserved communities by educating children and their families on the
importance of vaccination, empowering children to becoming advocates for vaccination, and inspiring children
to explore veterinary careers that impact public health. Our focus on early elementary school children is
innovative because we have an opportunity to educate underserved children who have not yet developed a
long-term mistrust of our medical system. In the short term, children can positively impact the health of their
communities by advocating for vaccination. In the long term, children can change the narrative by aspiring to
become veterinary scientists that better represent the US population and are worthy of public trust. We
hypothesize that after becoming informed about vaccines and the importance of SARS-CoV-2 vaccination,
children will actively promote vaccination in their communities and aspire to become veterinarians. This
supplement has three specific aims. T he focus of Aim 1 is to dev elop a Vaccine SuperPower Pack. Vaccine
SuperPower Packs will contain educational materials for children about the importance of vaccines. Packs will
also encourage pursuit of veterinary careers and communication of scientific knowledge by featuring the
superhero veterinary scientist who hosts the VetaHumanz Live! podcast. Aim 2 is focused on promoting SARS-
CoV-2 vaccination by featuring veterinarians who have been involved in the response to SARS-CoV-2 through
the VetaHumanz Live! podcast which will be broadcast through our website and community events. Aim 3
promotes SARS-CoV-2 vaccination through a League of VetaHumanz social media campaign. Our League of
VetaHumanz, a far-reaching, inclusive veterinary STEM ecosystem consisting of veterinary professionals,
veterinary students, and community entities serving disadvantaged youth, will provide the frameworkfor
distribution of educational resources and messaging. VetaHumanz will educate children as well as model being
vaccinat...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10379743
- **Project number:** 3R25GM137169-02S1
- **Recipient organization:** PURDUE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Sandra F San Miguel
- **Activity code:** R25 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $54,000
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2020-08-01 → 2025-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10379743

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10379743, VetaHumanz Need Vaccines Too! (3R25GM137169-02S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10379743. Licensed CC0.

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