Lewis B. Lefkowitz Fund

Lewis B. Lefkowitz Fund

Fostering Immersive Experiences in Community Health for Vanderbilt University School of Medicine Medical & Public Health Students

Now accepting student applications!

Background

Vanderbilt University Medical Center is collaborating with community organizations on projects for Vanderbilt medical or public health students to gain applied experience and exposure to community health. The community organizations selected to host students will receive funds to support projects that create opportunities for all populations to achieve their best health possible. The Lefkowitz Fund supporting student engagement in community health is named in honor of Dr. Lewis Lefkowitz and aims to continue his commitment to extending public health and medical education beyond the classroom and into the community. Click here to learn more about Dr. Lefkowitz.

Community Partner Background

For the 2026 cycle, students may apply to be matched with projects that expose students to policy and advocacy work that advance community health efforts. More specifically, projects may include conducting background research and gathering data to inform advocacy efforts, developing data one-pagers or factsheets, engaging in qualitative and quantitative data analysis, creating advocacy toolkits to educate and engage policymakers, developing policy reports or PowerPoint presentations for the community organizations, and more. Community organizations will meet the following criteria:

• Has a 501(c)(3) non-profit status or fiscal agent
• Is engaged in policy, advocacy, or upstream systems level change work that advances community health
• Can define a clear, feasible project deliverable for students to work on that addresses community health
• Has capacity to supervise a small cohort of 2-5 students between January-May 2026
• Able to join a series of meetings between January-May 2026 to create and refine the project deliverable

*Students will be informed about the community organizations in late December 2025 and we will gather organization preferences from selected students at that time. Some students will be matched with organizations that are engaged in a two-year longitudinal Lefkowitz experience, aiming to build off the work from the previous cohort and plug new students into those existing efforts. Project details will be discussed and defined once students have been matched.

Student Background

Students involved in the Lefkowitz Fund will be enrolled in a MD, MPH, or MD + Additional Degree program at Vanderbilt University. Students must submit an application indicating their interest, availability, program of study, topic area interests, and if they would like for this experience to count towards curricular requirements. Projects will be done in cohorts, as multiple students will be matched to work with the community organizations. Our goal is to accommodate as many students as possible, but student schedules, community organization availability, and other logistical factors may affect this. Applications will also be reviewed by the community organization for final cohort selections. We ask that students commit a minimum of 6-9 hours per week to this experience. Additionally, please note that this is not a paid experience for students.

Project Overview

The length of projects may vary and can be discussed between the community organization and students, but the general timeframe will be from mid-January to May 2026. We plan to continue offering this award annually and aim to connect with on-going projects that cohorts of students can engage with over-time. The visual below provides an overview of the experience.

*Overall workflow and communication will be determined between students and community organizations.

Final Presentation Requirements

Students and community organizations will be asked to attend the final presentation/celebration to present their projects in lieu of a final written report. Community organizations will sign off on all deliverables before final submissions. Students are encouraged to include any photos, fliers, or other information that describe the success of the project. Students and organizations will also be asked to complete a short feedback survey.

Timeline

The length of projects may vary and can be discussed between the community organization and students, but the general timeframe will be from mid-January to May 2026. Key dates to consider below (subject to change):

Questions?

The Lefkowitz Fund is an opportunity for students, staff, faculty, and community partners to co-learn in a way that advances Dr. Lefkowitz’s vision of engaging students in community health. As such, we want to hear from you on how this process can be made most beneficial for both students and the community organizations. If you have any questions or comments, please email sarah.r.ray@vumc.org.