The application period for the 2023-2024 cycle closed on November 12, 2023. Please check back in Summer 2024 for information on future cycles. A funding decision for the 2023-2024 cycle will be made in March 2024; applicants will be notified at that time.

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.

medic wearing PPE and drawing a solution into a needle

Eligible Public Health Issues

Grants will be open to all areas of public health, with the Surgeon General’s Priorities of special interest. These include topics related to Health Misinformation, Health Worker Burnout, Social Connection, Youth Mental Health, and Workplace Well-Being.

See the following link for more details: https://www.hhs.gov/surgeongeneral/priorities/index.html.

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:

  • Defined public health goal(s) and measurable outcomes.
  • A clear and concise description of the intended use of the funds and project rationale.
  • 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” 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

All questions should be directed to Lynn Abrahamson, Grants Manager, at [email protected] (include ‘Seed Grants” in the subject line). Due to the large volume of inquiries we are unable to respond to phone calls.

Sections of the 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 letter of support.

  • A description of how the project will be evaluated. (Limited to 600 words)

  • A short paragraph about the specific public health issue(s) the grant funds will target and the desired public health goal. (Limited to 300 words)

  • A description of how the grant funding will address the public health issue(s). (Limited to 600 words)

  • A summary of at least one innovative or unique aspect of the proposed project. (Limited to 250 words)

  • A list of external partners with a short description of their roles and/or financial contributions. (Limited to 300 words)

  • A project timeline, including tentative dates for completion of materials, publicity, and events. (300 words)

2024 Recipients

Congratulations to the following 14 recipients of the 2023 Barclay-Giel Seed Grants. We thank all 150 organizations who applied for funding. Organizations can share this Seed Grant Press Release 4.1.2024.

  • Grassroots Health (DC) – Support a near-peer health education model using student athletes to improve youth mental health.

  • Juvenile Protective Association (IL) – Expand program using older women (“grandmothers”) to mentor at-risk adolescent girls.

  • Ocean Beach Hospital and Medical Clinics (WA) –  Supply “prescriptions” for fruits and vegetables to low-income residents with diabetes. 

  • Our Minds Matter (VA) – Enhance the integration of mental health resources in teen and community centers with many BIPOC and LGBTQ+ members. 

  • The Supportive Older Women’s Network, (now Connectedly) (PA) – Reduce social isolation of older adults using a peer-driven group model.

  • The Friendship Circle (WI) – Reduce stigma associated with mental health issues and suicide in at-risk youth with SafeTALK resources.

  • Women for Health Rural Living (ME) : Develop a public education and marketing campaign focused on the importance of relationship-building

2023 Recipients

Congratulations to the following 16 recipients of the 2023 Barclay-Giel Seed Grants. We thank all 166 organizations who applied for funding. Organizations can share this Seed Grant Press Release 5.15.2023.

2022 Recipients

Congratulations to the following 16 recipients of the 2022 Barclay-Giel Seed Grants. We thank all 206 organizations who applied for funding. Organizations can share this Seed Grant Press Release 3.31.2022.

2021 Recipients

Congratulations to the following 11 recipients of the 2021 Barclay-Giel Seed Grants. We thank all 39 organizations who applied for funding. 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)​