U-M’s College of Literature, Science, and the Arts has awarded $4.7 million to five new faculty research projects that are seeking to enact global change across multiple fields and disciplines. Known as the LSA Meet the Moment Research Initiative, LSA Dean Anne Curzan notes the initiative’s efforts to combat “generational challenges that impact us socially, politically, and economically… The five projects selected showcase how the liberal arts are addressing some of these challenges in a way that will create long-term and meaningful change in our world.”

Spearheaded by U-M Economics Professor Amanda Kowalski, the research team featuring U-M Sociology’s Sarah Burgard has secured financial support for research examining health inequity exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The project, titled “Shaping Real World Policies to Tackle Persistent Health Inequities using Randomized Early Access to COVID-19 Vaccinations through Michigan Medicine,” secured nearly $2 million in funding from LSA. This study will examine early access to COVID-19 vaccination data from Michigan Medicine to evaluate various health inequities faced by marginalized communities. This research project seeks to inform future health policy guidance. 

Kowalaski’s multidisciplinary team includes Sarah Burgard (Sociology), Yanna Krupnikov (Communication & Media), and Abram Wagner (Public Health). With the support of LSA, this project joins a growing list of Meet the Moment-funded research endeavors aimed at creating progressive change. As the five projects commence on July 1, 2024, we look forward to witnessing the innovative research efforts of Professor Kowalaski, Professor Burgard, and others who are seeking to address some of today’s most challenging issues. 

Shaping Real World Policies to Tackle Persistent Health Inequities using Randomized Early Access to COVID-19 Vaccinations through Michigan Medicine 

• The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated already severe inequities in health and economic hardship by race, ethnicity, social vulnerability, and health. Although new life-saving technologies can reduce inequities, certain factors determine their real-world effectiveness, making policy guidance difficult. This project will examine early access to COVID-19 vaccination data from Michigan Medicine to evaluate those inequities, how they came to be, and their impact on individuals’ health and financial hardships with the aim to inform future policy guidance.  

Project Team: Amanda Kowalski, Sarah Burgard, Yanna Krupnikov, Abram Wagner

Total Award: $1,999,782

Learn more about the 2024 LSA Meet the Moment Initiative Grant winners.