Lee Kum Sheung Center for Health and Happiness
The mission of the Lee Kum Sheung Center for Health and Happiness is to build a rigorous and interdisciplinary science of positive health, happiness, and well-being with a focus on health equity, and to translate the science to influence practice and policy.
Kresge Building 6th Floor
677 Huntington Avenue
Boston, MA 02115
Summary
Overview
The interdisciplinary science of Positive Health encompasses the study of physical, mental, and social factors that contribute to overall well-being and happiness. The field of positive health science adopts an asset-oriented view of health and well-being, focusing on identifying and promoting individuals’ and communities’ positive health assets and resources—strengths that can contribute to a healthier, longer life, rather than solely addressing deficits or illness. This approach recognizes the interconnectedness of psychological, social, and physical dimensions of health, aiming to enhance positive emotions, relationships, and environments to foster holistic well-being.
The Lee Kum Sheung Center for Health and Happiness at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health is at the forefront of advancing this paradigm shift, exploring the intricate connections between positive psychological and social well-being, positive social environments, and physical health. Our work spans various disciplines, including health communications, psychology, sociology, exercise physiology, basic biology, epidemiology, medicine, and population sciences. By integrating insights from these diverse fields, the center strives to deepen scientific understanding of how positive factors contribute to health outcomes, and pave the way for more effective interventions and policies aimed at enhancing overall well-being. The funding will support pioneering research at early stages of development that focuses on positive health science or communication and translation sciences related to positive health science. Priority will be given to projects that involve high pay-off in terms of opening new areas of inquiry or providing crucial preliminary data for preparing larger grants proposals (e.g., to the NIH).
Awards will be granted for amounts between $10,000 and $20,000. Funding can be used to cover research-related expenses, such as: research staff salary support, obtaining access to existing data, data collection activities, conference presentations, and travel (with prior approval). Information on previous year’s awardees can be found at the bottom of this page.
