# Promoting Healthcare Careers Through Interactive Digital Media STEM Exploration

> **NIH NIH R43** · LIIINGO, INC. · 2022 · $215,813

## Abstract

Project Summary
The United States faces significant shortfalls recruiting and producing the healthcare
professionals. In addition to staff shortages, the workforce is also burdened by a lack of racial
and ethnic diversity. As a potential counter to these widening gaps, Liiingo’s healthcare career
exploration game, Upward Knowbility, is a novel tool for secondary students to learn about
career options. Upward Knowbility will support youth, including those from diverse economic
and cultural backgrounds, in pursuing healthcare careers by aligning their interests to
healthcare professions and granting insight into particulars of job. The ‘choose your own
adventure’-style game will include scenario-based decision making, quizzes, video interviews
with healthcare professionals, and written content to share pertinent information about career
options. In this Phase I proposal, Liiingo will undertake the following Specific Aims (SA). SA1:
Define a working prototype. Liiingo will assemble a Product Advisory Board (PAB) of
stakeholders with expertise in healthcare, education, and STEM. Together, this group will
employ a User-Centered Design process and define the criterion for content to be integrated
into the prototyped product. Using the criteria, project staff will gather content through research,
video interviews with healthcare professionals, and extant data. Staff will also develop
supportive lesson plans for educators. SA2: Develop a functional prototype. The Upward
Knowbility app will be built in Liiingo’s proprietary platform that deploys applications via mobile
devices in users native language. Simultaneous to SA1, Liiingo will begin software development
of additional in-platform functionality necessary to support the product. Gathered content will be
translated and added to the platform to construct a viable product prototype. Liiingo will utilize
both automated and manual testing methods to ensure the functionality of the app. SA3: Test
and evaluate the prototype. Liiingo will then pilot Upward Knowbility with secondary students
(i.e., English- and Spanish-speaking learners) at pilot sites (N = 100). Data will be collected from
students to measure changes in healthcare career knowledge and gather feedback regarding
the product satisfaction. Data will be combined with user analytics to gauge product viability,
explore prototype refinement, and inform a Phase II proposal. The PAB will review data
gathered to inform product development and describe a Phase II plan. Liiingo believes Upward
Knowbility has the potential to significantly expand healthcare and STEM career exploration
opportunities in all communities by providing a clear, accessible roadmap to prosperity through
in-demand, well-compensated healthcare careers.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10479356
- **Project number:** 1R43GM146475-01
- **Recipient organization:** LIIINGO, INC.
- **Principal Investigator:** Andrea J Sorensen
- **Activity code:** R43 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $215,813
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2022-09-20 → 2023-06-19

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10479356

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10479356, Promoting Healthcare Careers Through Interactive Digital Media STEM Exploration (1R43GM146475-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-26 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10479356. Licensed CC0.

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