The Project on Genocide, Psychiatry and Witnessing
Strengthening a Refugee Community's Research
Capacity

Principial Investigator: Stevan Weine MD; Co-investigator: Mary McKay PhD and Amer Smajkic MD; Project Manager: Amer Smajkic MD

The overall aim of this seed grant is to enhance the capacities of the Bosnian refugee community and its families to collaborate in the development of community-based research programs. This can be done by building upon existing collaborative partnerships between our UIC interdisciplinary research group and a select group of Bosnian parents and community leaders organized through the Bosnian Herzegovinan American Cultural Center. We are applying a model and curriculum developed by McKay, Bell, and Paikoff for urban parents and teachers that was previously funded and successfully implemented through the support of the Great Cities Institute. The proposed project adapts their model to fit with the Bosnian community so as to address two aims. First, the project aims to strengthen community resources through the provision of technical assistance workshops conducted by UIC faculty, from three colleges, who are part of our interdisciplinary research team and have committed their time to plan and facilitate seven half day workshops.

Second, the project aims to develop several grant proposals through facilitating several collaborative small work groups in areas of critical need in order to generate fundable grant proposals. This project is being funded by the Great Cities Institute.