The South Jersey Institute for Population Health (SJIPH) recently organized a “Sandbox” event at the Joint Health Sciences Center, where 12 teams of researchers from Rutgers University-Camden, Rowan University, and local nonprofits gathered to develop proposals addressing population health issues in southern New Jersey. The event offered attendees a chance to engage with academics and community organizations as they collaborated on research ideas with guidance from an expert facilitator.
Jeffrey Nash, CEO of the Joint Board of Governors, said, “Events like the Sandbox demonstrate the extraordinary potential of collaboration and provides a space for the needs of individual communities to intersect with higher education. These researchers, institutions, and community partners have come together to create meaningful change for the people of South Jersey in essential areas, such as psychology, nutrition, and health care.”
SJIPH was established in 2018 with a state grant awarded to the Rowan University / Rutgers–Camden Board of Governors. Its mission is to promote collaborative research aimed at improving health outcomes for residents in both rural and urban parts of South Jersey.
Dr. Nicole Vaugnhn, Rowan University’s co-lead for SJIPH, stated, “South Jersey Institute for Population Health is focused on improving health outcomes for all residents in our 7 counties and we are thrilled to welcome 12 more projects to our Sandbox event for 2025 to work with our research-focused facilitators on revising their proposals. Over the past 5 years, we have continued to support faculty researchers and community leaders in working together to develop innovative research projects that have benefit for all.”
Dr. Stephen Danley, Rutgers University-Camden’s co-lead for SJIPH, noted the focus on expanding efforts in rural communities during this funding cycle. “This funding cycle we focused on expanding our work in rural communities throughout South Jersey. We invested in Partnership Development Awards that provided $5,000 in seed funding for faculty and community-based organizations to work together. Seven of those new partnerships applied for our main cycle of funding and were invited to the Sandbox, increasing our footprint in Cumberland County, Salem County, and with the Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape Tribal Nation.”
The Rowan University / Rutgers–Camden Board of Governors was established in 2012 with a goal to use educational and research resources to support healthcare growth in South Jersey. The board works with both public and private partners to develop programs and projects aimed at creating a sustainable community and supporting Camden’s health sciences corridor.
