Open RFAs and Save the Date for the December Council Meeting

Dear Colleague,

The California Initiative to Advance Precision Medicine (CIAPM) has been working tirelessly to support representative precision medicine research in the State of California.

In October, we released two Request for Applications (RFA) for Representative Precision Medicine Research, one focused on partnerships and the other to support doctoral students. More information on these RFAs are below, including a reminder of the November 21st Letter of Intent deadline for the Partnership RFA.

Further, the Depression Research Program has made excellent progress, with staff having visited two of the three programs at Santa Clara University and UC San Diego in the last several weeks.

Finally, we ask you to register and save the date for the next California Precision Medicine Advisory Council.

Thank you for continuing to remain appraised of our work as we aim to support research that makes California Healthy for All!

The CIAPM Team

Program Updates

Diverse Researchers planning out Representative Research

Representative Research for Precision Medicine

Open Funding Opportunities

On October 15, the California Initiative to Advance Precision Medicine (CIAPM) team released two Requests for Applications (RFA) on precision medicine approaches aimed at promoting ‘representative research’ by including underrepresented populations as research participants, benefitting all Californians and reducing health disparities.

The funding will support researchers in the state to bridge interdisciplinary fields and/or create authentic partnerships amongst institutions and/or between institutions and the communities they serve. CIAPM will also be accepting recommendations from the public for Out-of-State Experts for the RFA Selection Committee. To submit a recommendation, please fill out the form linked below.

RFA for Representative Precision Medicine Research through Partnerships

This RFA will award up to $6 million to support approximately 3-5 project teams conducting representative precision medicine research projects in California over a 2.5-year project term.

California-based research teams must be co-led by AT LEAST one non-profit academic research institution AND at least one non-profit community-based organization, patient advocacy group, community clinic, or public or tribal entity that can represent diverse and underserved communities OR another non-profit academic research institution that builds capacity and sustainably breaks down data-sharing silos.

Partnership RFA applicants must submit a non-binding and non-scored Letter of Intent by November 21, 2025 12PM PST. All eligible applicants will proceed with submitting an Initial Application by January 23, 2026 12PM PST.

RFA for Doctoral Student Representative Precision Medicine Research

CIAPM will award approximately $2.3 million to support around 15 doctoral students conducting representative precision medicine research projects in California over a 2.5-year project term. The applicant must be a current PhD, DrPH, MD-PhD, or other doctoral-level student conducting research at a non-profit California academic research institution and in good academic standing. The applicant must describe how their application will support representative research, incorporate a precision medicine approach to reduce health disparities, potentially including social determinants of health data and/or community-engaged research approaches, and enhance their own education and training.

Doctoral student applicants must submit their full applications by January 30, 2026 at 12 PM PST.

View deadlines and more info on the RFA

Suggest Out-of-State Expert for Selection Committee

Watch the Webinar for the Partnership RFA

Watch the Webinar for the Doctoral Student RFA

Depression Research Program

Site Visit and Summit at Santa Clara University

CIAPM Science Officer David Reiner, Program Officer Saga Barberis, and Science Communications Officer Ramon Martinez at the LGBTQ Digital Mental Health Summit

CIAPM supported investigator Dr. Greg Hajcak chairs a panel with his colleagues at the LGBTQ+ Digital Mental Health Summit

On September 29 & 30 ^th , CIAPM Staff attended the first summit on Digital Mental Health & LGBTQ+ Youth: Bridging Industry, Research & Clinical Care hosted at Santa Clara University (SCU) by CIAPM-supported grantees Drs. Greg Hajcak (SCU) and Jenna Alley (UCLA). The summit came together through inspiration from Dr. Hajcak’s CIAPM-funded project. At the summit, researchers discussed the impact of artificial intelligence on digital mental health, how to overcome ongoing obstacles to obtaining federal funding in this field, how to advocate for the importance of the work in this field, and the impact that social media plays on LGBTQ+ youth mental health.

The following day, staff attended the first site visit of the Depression Research Program at SCU. During these site visits, teams discussed preliminary data, community partnerships, mentorship and training opportunities, and initial successes in participant recruitment.

Site Visit to UCSD

UCSD Depression Research Staff accompany CIAPM Staff to an Art Piece at the UCSD Stuart Collection

CIAPM Staff David Reiner, Saga Barberis, and Ramon Martinez with Family Health Centers of San Diego Depression Research Staff

CIAPM Staff David Reiner, Saga Barberis, and Ramon Martinez with the UCSD Depression Research Team

On November 5 ^th , CIAPM Staff then attended a site visit of the UC San Diego Depression Research Team. During the site visit, staff visited the community research investigators at Family Health Centers of San Diego as well as the academic research team under Dr. Suzi Hong at UC San Diego to discuss data collection, participant engagement from the clinicians’ perspective, and data types and analytic approaches. Staff and team also had the chance to visit an art instillation at the UCSD Stuart Collection.

California Precision Medicine Advisory Council

September CA Precision Medicine Advisory Council Meeting

The California Precision Medicine Advisory council (CPMAC) last met virtually on September 19, 2025. The next gathering of the CPMAC will be held on December 17^th from 2 - 4:15 PM, where the public can view virtually. Please follow the link below to register for the webinar.

The December Agenda and meeting minutes from June will be posted on our Meetings webpage ahead of the next meeting.

CIAPM Network in the Media

CIAPM-funded UCSF ACEs Investigator Dr. Nicole Bush chaired a session entitled ”Social & Neighborhood Factors” in the National Institute of Health Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Symposium on Translating Science to Action. In this session, Dr. Nadine Burke Harris, former California Surgeon General and former Advisor of the California Precision Medicine Advisory Council, also presented on Understanding Childhood Trauma and Toxic Stress to Enhance Child Health.

CIAPM-funded Stanford ACEs Investigator Dr. Rachel Gilgoff co-hosted a workshop entitled, “Quantifying the Cost of Stress for Patients and Caregivers” hosted by The Center for Innovation & Value Research.

CIAPM-funded UCSD ACEs Investigators Dr. Gary Firestein and Dr. Erik Hekler published an article entitled “Process evaluation and lessons learned from the formation of a multi-sector partnership: the Healing Experiences of Adversity among Latinos (HEALthy4You)” in the journal Frontiers in Health Science.

External Opportunities

PCORI - Advancing the Science of Engagement in Research PCORI Funding Announcement -- Cycle 1 2026

The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) intends to release a Funding Announcement (PFA) for Advancing the Science of Engagement in Research on December 2nd, 2025, seeking to fund studies that build an evidence base on engagement in research, including:

Measures to capture structure/context, process, and outcomes of engagement in research.
Techniques that lead to effective engagement in research.
How effective engagement techniques should be modified and resourced for different contexts, settings, and communities.

An applicant Town Hall is scheduled for December 3rd, 9 AM (PT) with a Letter of Intent to apply for the grant due January 6, 2026.

Notice of Funding Opportunity

PCORI - Improving Methods for Conducting Patient-Centered Comparative Clinical Effectiveness Research -- Cycle 1 2026

PCORI intends to release a Funding Announcement (PFA) for Improving Methods for Conducting Patient-Centered Comparative Clinical Effectiveness Research on December 2^nd, 2025, seeking to fund studies that address high-impact methodological gaps in patient-centered comparative clinical effectiveness research (CER). For this Cycle, PCORI has identified the following areas as program priorities:

Methods To Improve the Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) in CER.
Methods To Improve Study Design.
Methods To Support Data Research Networks.
Methods Related to Ethical and Human Subjects Protections Issues in CER.

An applicant Town Hall is scheduled for December 4^th, 9 AM (PT) and a Letter of Intent to apply for the grant is due January 6, 2026.

Notice of Funding Opportunity

External Events

NAM webinar on Exploring the Shared Commitments for a Learning Health System

November 7 | Online

The National Academy of Medicine (NAM) will hold a webinar exploring a framework for collective action to improve health and health care. Health leaders will introduce the NAM Learning Health Systems Shared Commitments Initiative, where stakeholders will share goals and activities to catalyze movement from conceptualization to implementation for a cross-sector community of continuous learning and trust-building for improved health outcomes.

Learn more about the webinar

NAM Webinar on The Role of Science, Technology, and Communication in Advancing Healthful Foods and Diets: A Workshop

December 5 | Online

The National Academy of Medicine (NAM) will convene a workshop to explore how existing and emerging scientific research, technology, and policy could be applied to more healthful foods and diets, including the effects of ultra-processing, food additives, and nutrient density among other factors.

Learn more about the webinar

NHRA - 37th Annual Rural Health Policy Institute

February 10-12 | Washington, D.C.

The National Rural Health Association (NRHA) is hosting their annual Rural Health Policy Institute where health policy advocates will gather and have opportunities to hear about rural health priorities from elected officials, learn about advocacy, network with Congressional delegations, and learn new ways NRHA is advancing the rural health priorities.

Learn more about the institute

AAAS 2026 Annual Meeting

February 12-14 | Phoenix, AZ

The 2026 American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Annual Meeting will highlight opportunities for communities of scientists, policy makers, and citizens to work together and explore how science and policy can be developed at scale for impact, using evidence-based policy and implementation of science in society.

Learn more about the meeting

Find more external events on CIAPM's website.

Explore More External Opportunities and Events

California Health and Human Services Agency

1215 O Street, 11th Floor

Sacramento, CA 95814

Reception Desk: (916) 322-2318

E-Mail: ciapm@chhs.ca.gov