IHA conducts and funds research that links health literacy best practices to better health outcomes and health equity.
IHA Research Initiatives
About Our Research
The Institute for Healthcare Advancement (IHA) conducts and funds research to advance the field of health literacy. We partner with academic institutions, health care organizations and research groups on collaborative studies that tackle some of the field’s most challenging questions.
Since 2021, we have also awarded small research grants that build evidence linking health literacy best practices with better health outcomes and fewer health disparities.
IHA Research Grant Program
IHA awards small research grants of up to $25,000 to advance the field of health literacy. We fund studies that generate evidence linking health literacy best practices with better health outcomes and fewer health disparities.
Current status: The 2026 funding cycle is closed, and the awardees are listed below. Check back here for the next funding opportunity.
Meet the Program Lead
Marian Ryan, PhD, MA, MPH, IHA chief policy and research officer, leads IHA’s research program.
Dr. Ryan brings a 35-year career in health care and public health that spans clinical care, patient education and health literacy, care transitions, and quality improvement for underserved populations. She earned her PhD in social policy at Brandeis University as an Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) fellow. Today she focuses on translational research that makes health care more accessible and effective for all people, with health literacy as a pathway to health equity and whole-person care.
Research Partners
Health Literacy Research and Practice (HLRP) Journal
An interdisciplinary, international journal that bridges research and best practices to advance health literacy, promote health equity and reduce health disparities.
Health Literacy Annual Research Conference (HARC)
An interdisciplinary meeting for investigators dedicated to health literacy research. HARC advances the field, raises the quality of research and offers professional development.
Looking for the newest studies? Browse Latest Health Literacy Research.