September 15, 2026 | 498 Words | 3 Minutes
On September 2, the Social & Behavioral Science Institute (SBSI) and the Health Care Engineering Systems Center (HCESC) brought researchers together for a Jump ARCHES Collaboration Workshop focused on building interdisciplinary teams and connections in preparation for the program’s next funding call.
An Opportunity for Interdisciplinary Health Research
Jump Applied Research in Community Health through Engineering and Simulation (ARCHES) provides seed funding for collaborations among the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, OSF HealthCare, and the University of Illinois College of Medicine Peoria (UICOMP). The program supports innovative approaches to improving health care and translating research into practice.
Jump ARCHES offers two funding tracks: the Innovation Track, which supports the development, implementation, and evaluation of innovative solutions to health care challenges, and the Translation Track, which supports translational and implementation-focused research aimed at moving research findings into clinical practice or health care interventions.
Social and behavioral science is specifically identified as an area of interest, including research related to social determinants of health, health inequities, social and behavioral health, developmental conditions, the cancer continuum, and the digital revolution.
Teams must include a Grainger College of Engineering faculty member and an OSF HealthCare or UICOMP investigator, along with other expertise appropriate to the project. The RFA is typically released in January, with an April 10 deadline.
Building Connections for the Next Call
The workshop began with an overview of the Jump ARCHES program, followed by a Jump ARCHES Success Stories Panel featuring three researchers from different disciplines, each representing a different Jump ARCHES-funded project with a significant social and behavioral science component:
Nancy McElwain
Research Professor, Department of Human Development and Family Studies
Charee Thompson
Professor, Department of Communication
Abigail Wooldridge
Associate Professor, Department of Industrial & Enterprise Systems Engineering
Panelists shared how their teams came together, what Jump ARCHES funding made possible, and what they learned from carrying out their projects. The discussion also addressed the realities of collaborative research, including navigating different disciplinary perspectives and working with health care collaborators and within health care settings. Panelists closed by offering advice for researchers considering a Jump ARCHES application.
Participants then took part in networking tables and a networking lunch, where they shared their research interests and explored potential cross-connections for collaboration as they begin developing ideas for the next Jump ARCHES call.
Continue Building Your Jump ARCHES Team
Interested in finding collaborators for a future Jump ARCHES proposal? Complete the collaboration request form to connect with potential team members.
Researchers can also continue building connections at the 2026 Health Care Engineering Systems Symposium on October 27 at the Jump Trading Simulation & Education Center in Peoria. The symposium will bring together researchers, clinicians, and industry leaders to showcase health care research and explore opportunities for collaboration.
Considering a Jump ARCHES proposal?
Reach out to SBSI early in the development process! SBSI can help connect researchers with social and behavioral science collaborators, provide feedback on project ideas, and review proposals to strengthen their social and behavioral science components.
Request Proposal Development Support