Overview

The PHS Commissioned Officers Foundation (COF) for the Advancement of Public Health seeks to support community-based public health programs. The program is named after the late Martha Barclay-Giel, a retired Captain of the Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service. Captain Barclay-Giel dedicated her life’s work to advancing the health of Americans. After retiring, she donated considerable sums of money to COF. She is a member of the
John Adams Society.

Grant Amounts

The maximum grant amount is $10,000. COF may elect to provide less than the full amount requested.

Submission Timeline

The application for this cycle will open on September 7, 2021 and close on November 12, 2021 at 5 pm ET. The selection of grant recipients will be made in February 2022.

Volunteer as a Reviewer

We welcome USPHS officers to volunteer as reviewers for the 2021 funding cycle.

VOLUNTEER AS A REVIEWER

Eligible Applicants

Any non-profit entity, including 501(c)(3) or local/state/tribe/tribal organizations whose primary mission is addressing one or more public health issues.

medic wearing PPE and drawing a solution into a needle

Eligible Public Health Issues

The grants are open to all areas of public health, with the Surgeon General’s Priorities of special interest. These include Opioids and Addiction, Tobacco, Community Health and Economic Prosperity, Oral Health, and Emerging Public Health Threats.

Additionally, organizations with projects that focus on stopping the spread of health misinformation, in support of the Surgeon General’s latest advisory, are strongly encouraged to apply.

Proposed projects should have a strong disease and/or injury prevention component that impacts the health of a community by promoting wellness, early detection, and early interventions. Funds are not intended for clinical care or patient treatment.​

Rating Criteria

All applications will be evaluated and ranked competitively based on the following criteria:

  • A clear and concise description of the intended use of the funds and project rationale.
  • Defined public health goal(s) and measurable outcomes.
  • The likelihood of making an impact and obtaining a successful public health outcome in the community.
  • Innovative and unique strategies.
  • Ability to describe the “next step” to be taken by the applicant organization after the COF grant funds are used to address the public health issue.
  • Community support and/or partnerships with other organizations.

Questions

​Please email all inquiries to Lynn Abrahamson at [email protected]. Include in subject line: Seed Grants

Sections of Application

The information below will be asked in the online application. Your organization may want to prepare answers before starting the online application.

  • Applicant contact information

  • A brief overview statement about the applicant organization and describe its mission to advance public health. (Limited to 300 words.)

  • The organization’s current annual budget total.
  • The organization’s current total number of paid full-time employees.
  • The federal tax status of the organization.
  • The amount of funding requested and the total project cost.
  • A description of the specific public health issue(s) the grant funds will target and the desired public health goal. Note which of the Surgeon General’s priorities are addressed. (Limited to 600 words.)
  • How the grant will be used to address the public health issue described above (also known as the project), and what outcome constitutes a successful project. (Limited to 600 words.)
  • A description of the innovative or unique aspect of the proposed project. What makes this project different from projects with similar goals? (Limited to 600 words.)
  • A description of all partner organizations and a brief description of their roles and financial contributions. (Limited to 600 words.)
  • A brief timeline for the project, including the dates and location of events, which must include the expected date of completion. (Limited to 600 characters.)
  • A description of how you plan to monitor the project to measure its success. (Limited to 600 words.)

2021 Recipients

Congratulations to the following 11 recipients of the 2021 Barclay-Giel Seed Grants. Organizations can share this press release.

​2020 Recipients

Congratulations to the following 16 recipients of the 2020 Barclay-Giel Seed Grants. We thank all 72 organizations who applied for funding. Organizations can share this press release.

  • Benton Franklin Recovery Coalition: Benton, WA – comprehensive addiction recovery (link)
  • Boys & Girls Club of Greater Salt Lake:  Murray, UT – access to behavioral health resources (link)
  • City of New Orleans Health Department:  New Orleans, LA – safe routes to school (link)
  • Community Choice Action Health Partners: Wenatchee, WA – stroke/TIA hospital readmissions (link)

  • Community Health Coalition:  Durham, NC – smoking/addiction behavior modification (link)

  • Healthy Alaska Natives Foundation:  Anchorage, AK – rural youth ATV safety (link)

  • Morgan County Substance Abuse Council:  Martinsville, IN – dangers of e-cigarettes (link)

  • North Carolinians Against Gun Violence: Durham, NC – unsecured guns and role of HCPs (link)

  • Oklahoma City Indian Clinic:  Oklahoma City, OK – peri-/prenatal, newborn education (link)

  • Safe Kids Kansas:  Topeka, KS – SIDS prevention (link)

  • St Mary’s Health Clinics:   Saint Paul, MN – connecting patients to oral health screening (link)

  • Staten Island NFP Association, Inc.:  Staten Island, NY – emergency preparedness planning (link)

  • The Village Community Garden and Learning Center: Rochester, MN – addressing hunger (link)

  • Tri-County Health Department: Greenwood Village, CO – healthy farmers markets (link)

  • Volunteers of America, Utah:  Salt Lake, UT – addiction/mental illness in Wasatch Front (link)

  • Waypoint Foundation, Inc.:  Sarasota, FL – grade school access to mobile dental health (link)

2019 Recipients

Congratulations to the following 15 organizations. We thank all 251 organizations which applied for funding. Organizations can share this press release regarding the funding announcement.

  • Center Helping Obesity in Children End Successfully (link)

  • Central Vermont New Directions Coalition (link)

  • City of Lowell Health Department (link)

  • Community Health Worker Coalition for Migrants and Refugees (link)

  • Fresno Police Chaplaincy (link)

  • Lake County General Health District Tobacco (link)

  • Madison County Health Department, NY (link)

  • Metropolitan Tenants Organization (link)

  • Mississippi Oral Health Community Alliance (link)

  • Senior Charity Care Foundation (link)

  • Smiles Across Montana (link)

  • Soul Food for Your Baby (link)

  • Southern Nevada Health District (link)

  • The JEM Foundation (link)

  • The Opportunity Alliance (link)

2018 Recipients

Congratulations to the following 20 organizations. We thank all 300 organizations which applied for funding. Organizations can share this press release regarding the funding announcement.

  • Baystate High Street Health Center (link)

  • Cape Girardeau County Public Health Center (link)

  • CareNet Counseling East (link)

  • Colorado Coalition for the Homeless (link)

  • Connecticut Association of School Based Health Centers (link)

  • Eastern Iowa Health Center (link)

  • ECDC African Community Center of Denver (link)

  • Fargo Cass Public Health (link)

  • Health Resources in Action (link)

  • Ledge Light Health District (link)

  • Life Changers Counseling and Life Coaching (link)

  • Mercy Health Foundation (link)

  • Naugatuck High School (link)

  • North Dakota Head Start (link)

  • Open Aid Alliance (link)

  • Planned Parenthood of Southern New England (link)

  • Pomperaug Health District Medical Reserve Corps (link)

  • Quaboag Hills Community Coalition (link)

  • Special Kids, Special Care (link)

  • Valley County Health Department (link)​

Questions?