From Idea to Impact: What Our Pilot Grants Make Possible
Where It All Started
The NHH-UT Pilot Grant Program was created with a simple goal: get more people connected to nature. By offering early-stage funding, the program gives researchers and community partners the space to test new approaches, gather early evidence, and explore how nature can meaningfully support health and well-being.
Right now, we’re in the thick of it! We are currently reviewing finalist proposals for the 2026–2028 cycle and gearing up to announce our next cohort of funded projects in early February. But before we dive into what’s next, we wanted to take a moment to look back. Because honestly? The impact of these pilot grants has been pretty incredible and it’s important to reflect on all our recipients have accomplished!
A Look Back at Previously Funded Projects
Over the past several years, NHH-UT pilot grants have supported a wide range of projects, including research studies, community programs, and implementation efforts, all grounded in the relationship between nature and health.
And the reach? Hundreds of people across wildly different walks of life, including veterans, college students, older adults, people experiencing homelessness, justice-impacted youth, first-generation scholars, and multigenerational BIPOC families. From forest bathing and nature immersion to outdoor education, arts-based programming, and green space interventions, each project approached nature and health from a unique angle. What connected them all was a shared commitment to learning what works, who it works for, and how nature-based approaches can be made more accessible and impactful.
The Impact: What These Projects Have Accomplished
These pilot projects haven’t just been nice ideas. They’ve moved the needle on what we know about nature and health.
Several research-focused projects produced peer-reviewed publications, national conference presentations, and practical insights for healthcare and mental health practitioners. Others showed that nature-based interventions are not only beneficial but also feasible for populations with significant health needs, including veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder and older adults navigating mental health challenges.
Projects working with college students highlighted how nature supports subjective health and social connection, especially when engagement is built into daily routines and supported by peers. Community-based efforts showcased the importance of culturally relevant, trauma-informed approaches, offering clear lessons about how programs can be designed in partnership with communities rather than for them.
Bottom line is, we’re not just asking whether nature supports health anymore. We’re getting a better understanding about how it works, when it works best, and who it works for.
What Happens After the Pilot Ends?
One of the most encouraging outcomes of the pilot grant program is what happens after the pilot ends. Many projects have continued well beyond their initial funding period. Some have secured additional research grants or moved toward larger, more rigorous studies. Others have become ongoing programs through institutional partnerships, donor support, or integration into existing services. In several cases, pilot funding provided the critical first step toward long-term sustainability. This kind of momentum is exactly what our pilot funding is meant to support.
What’s New in the 2026 Pilot Grant Cycle
For the 2026 cycle, we took what we’ve learned and refocused this round of pilot grants to specifically address health outcomes.
We opened applications in three specific areas:
Healthcare
Healthcare with a clinical trial component
Translational science
We got an overwhelming response with 14 proposals requesting over $314,000 in total funding, spanning a huge range of disciplines, methods, and ideas. The quality was exceptional—which made the review process incredibly competitive (and honestly, pretty tough). We’ll be sharing details about the selected projects soon, and we can’t wait.
Come Celebrate With Us on February 18
We’re hosting a Pilot Grant Celebration on February 18 to kick off our next cohort, and we’d absolutely love for you to be there.
Join us at Fisher Brewing in Salt Lake City on February 18 from 5–7pm. It’s a chance to celebrate our new recipients, connect with partners and collaborators, and keep this conversation going about how nature can improve health. Drinks on us—hope to see you there! (RSVP REQUIRED)
A Huge Thank You
Thank you to our previous pilot grant recipients for all the work and dedication you put into your pilot grant programs. Thank you to our anonymous donor; without their ongoing support, this pilot grant program would simply not be possible.
We also want to thank our external reviewers for the 2026 evaluation process for their time and expertise: Lewis Kogan, Dr. Rosemary Lesser, Dr. Amy McDonnell, Dr. Patrick McMillion, Dr. Hanna Saltzman, and Lexi Tuddenham.