R E S E A R C H & I N NOVAT ION
ADVANCING RESEARCH
OSU-CHS Centers of Excellence build on the mission to improve the health of rural and underserved communities by addressing health challenges and promoting collaborative research.
CENTER FOR INDIGENOUS HEALTH RESEARCH AND POLICY Center for Indigenous Health Research and Policy (CIHRP) brings together scientific collaborators and Indigenous and community leaders to eliminate health disparities and cultivate health and wellness in Native American communities. In the summer of 2023, CIHRP received a $3.5 million donation from Novo Nordisk Inc., to fund the Indigenous Foodways and Health Initiative, which will support Indigenous food systems and practices that strengthen language revitalization and access to traditional foods. With this donation, CIHRP’s role will be to support the partnering communities in identifying and implementing measures to evaluate the impact of their programs on Native health. CIHRP is also heading several community-based participatory research studies. The Indigenous Supported Agriculture study, co-
led with the Osage Nation, is in the third year of a five-year study funded by the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities. The program provides weekly boxes of fresh vegetables, fruits, herbs and shelf-stable healthy foods to Native families living in the Osage Nation. The goal of this food sovereignty initiative aims to increase food security, reduce blood pressure, prevent and manage diabetes, and improve healthy eating. Another CIHRP initiative is the Center for Indigenous Innovation and Health Equity funded by the Office of Minority Health. The initiative supports revitalization of traditional foods in American Indian and Alaska Native communities including the Choctaw Nation’s Growing Hope program that distributes heirloom seeds to Choctaw Nation families to support the restoration of traditional gardens and improve healthy eating patterns.
VITALS 2023 IMPACT REPORT // 19
