Health and Wellness Promotion was recently awarded a $200K grant from the State of Indiana’s Division of Mental Health and Addiction (DMHA) for fiscal years 2027 and 2028, expanding efforts in substance misuse prevention and mental health promotion.
The award also marks a milestone for Director Eric Teske, who has now secured $1,055,874 in successful grant funding for the Division of Student Affairs since 2013. “I’m incredibly proud and thankful,” Teske said. “It’s fun to think back on some of our major student programs that all started with a grant.”
Over the past decade, grant funding has helped launch and sustain initiatives including Health and Wellness Coaching, the Collegiate Recovery Community, alcohol and cannabis screening tools and the Student Wellness Directory.
What began as funded pilot projects have grown into lasting campus resources supporting student well-being. Teske said one key to securing funding over the years has been preparation and clarity. “Grant writing doesn’t have to be abstract or impressive sounding,” he emphasized. “The more you can get to the point, the easier it is on reviewers.”
He encourages staff and faculty interested in pursuing grants to use the university’s proposal development resources, which assist with timelines, budgets and compliance. “We are so lucky at IU Indianapolis because we can tap into Big Ten–caliber resources,” Teske said. “They want to make it easy to bring in grants, so they are definitely on your team.”
Beyond the numbers, Teske views each grant as an opportunity to build sustainable programs. “Grant projects are like little startups,” he said. “You have the grant period to build your program and get it off the ground so that it can fly on its own when the money runs out.”
This approach has allowed Health and Wellness Promotion to expand its impact while remaining adaptable. From COVID-response supplies and campus surveys to recovery community expansion and wellness coaching, the team has leveraged funding to address evolving student needs.
The newly awarded DMHA grant includes proposed projects that form a perfect bridge between the purpose of the grant and the needs of our campus.
“The grant is for alcohol and drug prevention and mental health promotion with college students, so we are looking at things we can do right away, things we can build that will last long after the grant ends and ways we can infuse a prevention approach into more areas across campus to help students avoid setbacks in the first place,” said Teske.
Two initiatives stem directly from recommendations by the Chancellor’s Student Mental Health Council, including enhancements to wellness resources within Canvas and expanded instructor engagement through the Pedagogical Wellness Faculty Learning Community. The funding will also support large-scale screening initiatives for early detection and expanded wellness outreach and education within Fraternity and Sorority Life.
When it comes to grant writing, Teske encourages anyone to give it a try. “It’s always good to have a wish list of ideas in your back pocket. Look for gaps and keep a list of ideas even if you don’t have the funding right now,” he said.
“You never know how many proposals you will be competing against. On a couple of grants, I found out we were the only ones to apply, or the only ones to complete all sections of the application correctly. It’s always worth a shot!”
