A program curriculum built to improve health for all
Midwest LEADRS integrates immersive learning, structured methodological training, and ethical instruction to ensure Fellows can apply SDOH principles rigorously and responsibly.
From Concept to fundable submission
Collaborate in person during our four-day Midwest SDOH Intensive
The Midwest SDOH Intensive is the foundational launch of the program. Held at Irvington Event Center in Indianapolis, this Intensive brings together Institutional and Regional Fellows for immersive learning and collaboration.
The Intensive includes:
- Faculty-led modules on SDOH theory and application
- Small-group peer learning
- Case-based service-learning orientation
- Direct engagement with community partners
- Structured reflection and dialogue
Topics include:
- Foundations of SDOH frameworks
- Structural and policy drivers of health
- Ethical considerations in SDOH research
- Measurement and methods
- Co-production of knowledge
- Community-engaged research practices
- Policy implications and translation
Regional Fellows receive travel and hospitality support.
Research Rigor & Ethical Conduct
Ensuring high-quality, reproducible science.
Expand your knowledge through online coursework
To ensure methodological rigor and reproducibility, Fellows complete required online coursework during the first three months.
Required Indiana CTSI modules:
- Clinical Research Methods
- Basics of Data Management
- Reproducible Results & Data Analysis Workflow
National Institutes of Health modules:
- Rigor & Reproducibility
These modules strengthen Fellows' capacity to design and conduct high-quality, transparent, and reproducible research.
Explore Responsible Conduct of Research
All Fellows receive formal instruction in Responsible Conduct of Research, integrating both in-person and virtual sessions.
Topics include:
- Ethical engagement in SDOH research
- Data acquisition, ownership, and sharing
- Authorship and plagiarism
- Conflict of interest
- Human subjects protections
- Research misconduct
- Mentorship and collaboration
- Ethical challenges in community-engaged research
Instruction includes didactic sessions, case-based, learning, ethics discussions, and participation in the IU Translational Research Ethics (TREAT) lecture series.
Fellows receive at least eight hours of structured RCR training, exceeding NIH minimum requirements.
Mentoring opportunities with the Midwest LEADRS Program
Mentoring in the Midwest LEADRS program is structured, sustained, and tailored to Fellows' career stage and institutional context. The goal is to ensure that new knowledge in social determinants of health translates into rigorous, feasible, and fundable research.
Institutional Fellows are paired with:
- A primary faculty mentor
- An expert panel composed of senior investigators with expertise in SDOH research, methods, ethics, and a community research partner.
Regional Fellows:
- Participate in Program Director-led small group mentoring, with faculty mentors and peer feedback.
What mentoring focuses on
Mentoring occurs through monthly meetings over approximately eight months, with increasing emphasis on proposal readiness.
During these meetings, mentors and fellows will focus on:
- Refining research questions through an SDOH lens
- Developing or strengthening Specific Aims and Study Design
- Integrating ethical, community-engaged, and implementation considerations
- Identifying appropriate funding mechanisms and dissemination pathways
By the end of the program, Fellows leave with a clear, actionable research plan positioned for submission to NIH or other competitive funders.
Use your knowledge in applied service-learning projects
A defining feature of Midwest LEADRS is its emphasis on real-world application through service-learning projects developed in partnership with community organizations addressing critical social and structural drivers of health.
How the Midwest LEADRS Applied Service-Learning Projects work
- Fellows are assigned to small peer learning groups led by a Program Director.
- Each group works with a community partner who presents a real, current research or evaluation need.
- Fellows will apply concepts from the SDOH Intensive to develop practical, research-informed solutions.
Service-learning projects may include:
- Developing or refining evaluation plans
- Identifying outcomes and measures aligned with funder priorities
- Strengthening grant proposals or funding strategies
- Translating evidence for community, policy, or donor audiences.
Projects are conducted using a case-based, strengths-focused approach and continue throughout the program. Fellows conclude the experience by delivering a formal research product or briefing to their community partner.
Current Community Partners
Discover best practices to disperse your work
Midwest LEADRS prepares fellows to disseminate SDOH research in ways that are accessible, rigorous, and impactful across academic, clinical, and community settings.
Dissemination expectations
All Fellows are required to:
- Deliver a presentation at their home institution that is accessible to faculty, trainees, and aligned health disciplines
- Submit a competitive, peer-reviewed conference abstract, with the Midwest Nursing Research Society (MNRS) strongly encouraged.
- Share program materials (e.g., slides) for broader dissemination and program evaluation
Additional dissemination opportunities
Dissemination training emphasizes tailoring messages to diverse audiences and positioning Fellows as future leaders in SDOH research and policy-relevant scholarship.
- Competitive travel awards to support conference attendance if abstracts are accepted
- Participation in a regional SDOH Research Symposium at the end of the funding period
- Mentored opportunities for co-authorship with faculty and community partners