Background
After winning the inaugural, We Give Blood Drive competition award from Abbott and the Big Ten, the Division of Student Life at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln is awarding $400,000 towards projects led by UNL Faculty and staff to improve the health and well-being of UNL students and communities across Nebraska. All projects will be implemented throughout the 2026 calendar year, with final results and their respective impacts shared at the conclusion of the projects.
The review process involved multiple panels with varying backgrounds who scored applications based on the potential impact, significance, plan of implementation, and assessment of the proposed work. The projects selected represent the high caliber of applications received throughout this process from UNL faculty and staff. If UNL wins the We Give Blood competition again, opening the applications to faculty and staff from across the NU system would only increase the potential impact on physical, mental, and social well-being for students and the communities across the state of Nebraska.
Funded Grants for 2026
Awarded Amount: $95,000
Get in the Game: Expanding opportunities and establishing a model for youth fitness and sports in Nebraska
Award Period: January–December 2026
Primary Investigator: Jennifer Meek, PhD, Public Policy Center
Co-investigator: Ashley Miller, MPA, Public Policy Center
This new program focuses on providing sport opportunities to 6th grade students who are often unable to access programs due to gaps in programming. Through a partnership with Community Learning Centers, organizations that provide before and after school programming, three sports leagues, soccer, volleyball, and basketball, will be added at six middle schools where at least 50% of students receive free and reduced lunch and five are Title I schools. The overarching goal of the grant is to create a sustainable model that increases after-school sports access for students and supports the long-term benefits associated with sports participation.
Awarded Amount: $20,000
Sustainability on Wheels: Reducing Barriers to Participating in Active Transportation on Campus
Award Period: January–December 2026
Primary Investigator: Haylee Kraker, Office of Sustainability
Co-investigator: Jordan Messerer, MA, Campus Recreation
Co-investigator: Morgan Hartman, Office of Sustainability
Co-investigator: Madeline Yeatts, MA Office of Sustainability
The overall goal of Sustainability on Wheels is to promote overall community health through increasing access and reducing barriers to the use of bikes. The program focuses on UNL students and will develop a sense of community through shared experiences and bike ridership education to ensure students are knowledgeable about best practices and safety and have access to the proper equipment.
Awarded Amount: $45,000
Creative Recovery: Maker-based mental health support for Nebraska Veterans
Award Period: January–December 2026
Primary Investigator: Travis Ray, MA MS, Nebraska Innovation Studio
Co-investigator: David Martin, MA Nebraska Innovation Studio
Co-investigator: William Johnston, Nebraska Innovation Studio
Creative Recovery will expand the existing Veteran’s in Recovery program at Nebraska Innovation Campus to support an increased number of community Veterans and expand the opportunity to students on UNL’s campus. The program focuses on helping veterans both on campus and in the community and will foster purpose, connection, and creative engagement in non-clinical environments. In addition to programming, an embedded counselor from the Veterans Health Administration will provide informal support throughout the experience to all Veterans to provide additional resources and connections.
Awarded Amount: $90,000
Husker Produce: A campus farm for nourishing the community, spurring innovation, and building local food systems.
Award Period: January–December 2026
Primary Investigator: Sam Wortman, PhD, Department of Agronomy and Horticulture
Co-investigator: Andrea Basche, PhD, Department of Agronomy and Horticulture
Co-investigator: Christian Stephenson, PhD, Department of Agronomy and Horticulture
Co-investigator: Benjamin Jewell, MA, Nebraska Extension
Co-investigator: Martha Mamo, PhD, Department of Agronomy and Horticulture
Through the development of the Husker Produce Farm, Husker Produce looks to establish a living laboratory on campus where at least 300 students a year where they will learn about gardening practices and other production methods. The work done by students and staff as part of Husker Produce will grow at least 30,000 pounds of fresh produce each year and donated to local food banks as part of their community impact. The sustainable model of educating students and sharing food will ensure that the impact of Husker Produce Farm extends beyond campus and creates long-term habits for students educated through the program.
Awarded Amount: $65,000
Intern Foundry (IF) Expansion: Behavioral Health Across Nebraska
Award Period: January–December 2026
Primary Investigator: Tamy Burnett, PhD, University Honors Program
Co-investigator: Rebecca Baskerville, MPA, University Honors Program
The Intern Foundry program was established four years ago as a way to support non-profits and address the brain drain in Nebraska by providing internships to students throughout the spring and summer. The Intern Foundry Expansion builds on this program to intentionally place nine additional interns throughout the state of Nebraska with an emphasis on mental health resources through a partnership with the National Mental Health Alliance (NAMI) of Nebraska. The work would take place throughout the summer of 2026 and provides an immersive, educational experience for students while supporting the greater-Nebraska community.
Awarded Amount: $40,000
Standardization of First-Year Prevention Efforts
Award Period: January–December 2026
Primary Investigator: Jon Gayer, PhD, Campus Recreation
Co-investigator: Megan Hopkins, MSW, Nebraska Collegiate Prevention Alliance
Recognizing the critical period students experience as they transition to college, the Year One College Behavior Profile (Y1CBP) is a program that provides personalized, education-based alcohol prevention education to all first-year students across UNL and all colleges and universities across Nebraska. With this award, the Y1CBP will be modernized to integrate the emerging prevention science and better reflect current student behaviors. The modernization will have long-lasting impacts across Nebraska as students are able to develop habits as they begin higher education.
Awarded Amount: $45,000
Enhancing Student Health, Well-Being and Belonging at Western Nebraska Research, Extension, and Education Centers
Award Period: January–December 2026
Primary Investigator: Julie Peterson, PhD, Department of Entomology
Co-investigator: Kelly Bruns, PhD, Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture
Co-investigator: Bobby Skates, West Central Research, Extension and Education Center
Co-investigator: John Westra, PhD, Panhandle Research, Extension and Education Center
Co-investigator: Mitchell Stephenson, PhD, Department of Agronomy and Horticulture
Western Nebraska Research, Extension, and Education Centers (REECS) are located 225 – 400 miles away from UNL’s campus where more than 50 undergraduate and graduate students and scholars spend at least three months and up to a year away from many of the resources provided in Lincoln. This project would support students’ physical, mental, and social well-being while they are at Nebraska’s REECs through community engagement, connections to local events, and support for other activities that allow students to prioritize their own well-being. The grant’s goals are driven by past participants who have shared the challenges they have faced while having this immersive experience.