At the University of New England, graduate and undergraduate students in health fields can apply for grants to create community-focused programs and projects through the university’s Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC). Winning grant applications and their outcomes are featured in DigitalUNE (DUNE), UNE’s repository. By encouraging interdisciplinary projects and highlighting students’ individual strengths, IPEC aims to prepare “the next generation of healthcare leaders for term-based practice.” These practical applications prompt students to consider the role of other health care professionals in their future medical careers.
Bethany Kenyon, Scholarly Communications Librarian, notes that student work is a critical part of their repository, and this is one stellar example of work by both undergraduate and graduate students. Students applying for grants are notified that their work will be included in the repository. Future applicants can reference successful grants that are included in DUNE, and IPEC’s site links directly to the collection in DUNE.
In addition, the collection exemplifies how DUNE and the university as a whole strive to serve their community. Most of the projects are focused on Maine: one project highlights oral care for the local geriatric community, another assesses needs of local homeless residents. In addition to the grant applications, the collection features flyers that students have created about their projects, as well as research outcomes—posters, photos, videos, and presentations.
