Extramural Coordinated Funding

UM Submission Instructions: The Esther Tomljanovich Strategic Initiative Grant 2026

Sponsor:	Medica Foundation
Award Title:	The Esther Tomljanovich Strategic Initiative Grant
Amount:	$1M $1,000,000
UM Deadline:	03/20/2026
Sponsor Deadline:	05/01/2026
Description:	The Medica Foundation does not fund research initiative funding is focused on programmatic support. The Medica Foundation believes that the strongest solutions to equity come from the community. The goal of the Esther Tomljanovich Strategic Initiative grant is to provide the capacity to pilot culturally-responsive, community-led approaches that can lead to systemic change. Aligned with our mission, we prioritize initiatives that advance health equity. Although we are open to discussing any idea that can have transformative impact on health care equity, we will prioritize work that aligns with our funding areas: Maternal health: Access to prenatal and postpartum care and reproductive health services. Behavioral health: Mental and chemical health projects, especially collaborative efforts, that address system-level or community-wide impact. Criteria we consider includes: Intentional Power Sharing – The community is central to the approach of this work and is leading the solution, through intentional power sharing and co-design. Root Barriers – Works to strategically remove root barriers to advancing health equity for the impacted population. Proposal Strength & Impact – The practices used are defined clearly, the proposed work is viable, and the solution will create transformational change beyond the life of the grant.
Number of Applicants University is Allowed to submit:	TBD
Additional Requirements:	None
Sponsor Guidelines:	https://www.medicafoundation.org/apply-for-a-grant/strategic-initiatives
UM Nominations Process:	The University of Minnesota Foundation and the Research and Innovation Office collaborate to forward proposals to the Medica Foundation. To be considered for application to the Medica Foundation, please download and complete this two page concept paper and email to lonelson@umn.edu and kevinmil@umn.edu no later than 4pm on 2/27. For more information, please contact Logan Nelson at the University of Minnesota Foundation at lonelson@umn.edu.
Peer Review Coordination:	University of Minnesota Foundation contact email
Status:	Open
Please note:	To be considered for peer review and internal selection, faculty must follow the above submission guidelines and meet the UM deadline as set by the office coordinating the peer review for this opportunity.

General Information

Each posting has information about the external sponsor and opportunity as well as the internal application instructions.
Opportunities can be sorted by column headings; just click on the heading to re-sort by that column.
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If you know of an opportunity that is not on the list, please contact Kristin Mead.

Internal Requirements

Sponsor: Name of funder.
Award Title: Funding opportunity nameAmount: Range/Maximum dollar amount awarded.
UMN Deadline: Submission deadline for internal proposal as determined by the coordinating office.
Sponsor Deadline: External deadline identified by the sponsor.
Description: General information about the sponsor and the funding opportunity. Usually describes the purpose of the funding opportunity, overview of what the sponsor is looking for, including distinctive criteria. This is not meant to take the place of the sponsor guidelines; please read the sponsor guidelines before deciding to apply.
Number of Applicants University is Allowed to Submit: The maximum number of applications the sponsor will allow the university to submit.
Additional Requirements: Identifies any special requirements such as cost sharing, partners, etc.
Sponsor Guidelines: Link to the sponsor’s funding opportunity website.
UMN Nominations Process: Contains specific internal submission requirements including internal proposal instructions, deadline, eligibility, internal nomination process, contact information.
Peer Review Coordination: The name and contact email of the office coordinating the funding opportunity. RIO coordinates most limited submissions, but opportunities coordinated by other offices or programs are also posted on this webpage.
Status:
- Open: UM deadline has not passed and the opportunity is open for application.
- Forecasted: The funder has not yet formally published the opportunity. The deadline has yet to be determined.
- Archived: The opportunity has been archived by the funder.
- Spots Remaining: UMN deadline has passed, with some applicant spots still available. Contact collabor@umn.edu if interested
- First-Come, First-Served: Applicants accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. Contact collabor@umn.edu if interested
- Contact Us: The internal deadline has passed, but no applicants were selected. Please contact the office coordinating the peer review for more information.
- In Review: Peer review process is in progress for the opportunity.
- PI Selected: The PI(s) have been selected as the official UMN nominees.
- Closed: UMN is no longer accepting applications.

UMN Selection Process

Once the internal deadline has passed, if the number of applicants is less than or equal to the number of spots the university is allowed to send forward, the applicants automatically become the UMN nominee(s).
If the status of an opportunity is "First-Come, First-Served", there was not time to hold an internal review. Applicants will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.
If there are no applicants, the status will change to "Contact Us". At this point, the opportunity changes to a first-come, first-served opportunity.
If there are multiple applicants, the office coordinating the nomination will determine the review criteria and coordinate the review process. The status will change to "In Review".
Once the review has been completed all parties will be notified via email.
Nominees will be provided with an email from RIO (or the designated coordinating office) indicating that they are the university's nominee. This letter should accompany the nominee's proposal.
SPA is notified of the university's nominee(s) and the status is updated to "PI(s) Selected".

*If you have questions about the University's process related to extramural funding opportunities requiring nomination or if you have any technical issues with the site, contact collabor8@umn.edu.