The University of Tennessee System has announced the recipients of the Grand Challenges Grants Type 2 Competition, an initiative designed to tackle some of the most pressing issues facing Tennessee and beyond. This year’s projects highlight the UT System’s commitment to research, collaboration and delivering impactful solutions that transform lives across the state.
To qualify for these grants, teams had to meet rigorous criteria, including:
- Comprising faculty and staff from more than one University of Tennessee campus.
- Partnering with a community organization to enhance collaboration and impact.
- Demonstrating innovation, sustainability and significant potential for long-term effects.
“These grants are a testament to the transformative power of collaboration,” said University of Tennessee System President Randy Boyd. “By leveraging expertise across our campuses and working with community partners, we’re addressing some of Tennessee’s toughest challenges head-on. I’m inspired by the creativity, dedication and potential of these projects to make a real difference for Tennesseans.”
2024 Grand Challenges Grant Recipients
The winning projects, categorized by their focus areas, include:
Overcoming Addiction
Pain Sensitivity, Pain Affect
This project examines how pain, stress and craving influence methamphetamine and opioid use in Tennessee. By identifying key factors contributing to relapse, the team aims to develop strategies for more effective addiction treatment and recovery support.
Advancing K-12 Education
The Grow Your Own Collaboratory
This initiative, supported by faculty and staff from across the UT System, focuses on improving teacher retention in Tennessee. The project will design and implement a sustainable, co-created mentor teacher professional development program, using experimental research to evaluate its impact. The long-term goal is to scale the program through the Tennessee Grow Your Own Center.
Strengthening Rural Communities
The RAIL (Rural Assessment and Intervention Library) System
This project addresses the unique challenges faced by rural school psychologists in Tennessee. By providing access to assessments, interventions, multilingual protocols and expert consultations, the RAIL System will empower school psychologists to better support students with learning differences and disabilities.
On the Road to Better Health
This initiative aims to improve rural health outcomes and expand the rural health care workforce in Tennessee. Through a nursing-led, multidisciplinary collaboration, three One UT-branded rural health units will deliver community outreach, health education and workforce training to underserved areas.
These $500,000 grants highlight the UT System’s mission to serve the state through research, innovation and outreach. By addressing addiction, advancing education and strengthening rural communities, the Grand Challenges winners are poised to create lasting benefits for Tennessee residents.
In September, the UT System awarded more than $2.6 million in funding for 27 Type 1 proposals. These grants provide essential seed funding to address three pivotal areas: advancing K-12 education, strengthening rural communities and overcoming addiction.
Background on Grand Challenges
The Grand Challenges initiative was established in 2023 to address complex, large-scale issues that threaten the future of Tennesseans.
These issues include the opioid addiction crisis, teacher shortages, low student performance in schools, and scarcities in health and mental health care. While such challenges are becoming increasingly common across the U.S., the UT System refuses to accept their normalization.
Through its Grand Challenges initiative, the UT System seeks to create a future where every Tennessean can thrive. By focusing initial efforts on three key areas––advancing K-12 education, strengthening rural communities and overcoming addiction––UT is leveraging its established resources and expertise to drive meaningful impact. For more information about the Grand Challenges Grants, visit the Grand Challenges website.
Grand Challenge Summit
The University of Tennessee System will host a Grand Challenge Summit Feb. 13-14, 2025, at the Embassy Suites in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. The summit is designed to address Tennessee’s most pressing issues by bringing together a diverse group of experts and stakeholders. By thinking in terms of wholes rather than fragmented parts, the summit aims to foster innovative solutions and strategic partnerships that can drive meaningful change across the state.
Attendees will have a unique opportunity to delve into interconnected challenges and collaboratively explore ways to advance Tennessee’s communities. For more information, visit the Grand Challenges Summit website.
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