Creativity, Ideation, and Engagement: How a grant idea is formed

Forming partnerships, thinking of grant ideas, and finding the time to execute projects can feel daunting, especially when it isn’t clear where to start. Gibson D. Lewis Library at The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth dedicates full-time staff to outreach and community engagement, an intentional focus for over 30 years. Grants have been a central part of our efforts since 2002. This session will walk through a practical process of identifying grant ideas, provide real-life examples, and explore learned insights. Together we will demystify the creative process and gain confidence in building a grant that works for everyone’s situation.

Speaker Biography

Lorraine Sheldon

Lorraine Sheldon (pronouns she/her/hers) serves as the Community Engagement Librarian for the Gibson D. Lewis Library at the University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth. In her role, Lorraine works to improve public health through access to quality health information. This role is accomplished through educational programming and materials designed for the public, technology solutions for access, and participating in community organizations' exhibits and committees. Some notable projects include the HOPE Directory, a local database of health organizations, programs, and events, and the Preventative Care Family Package, a practical tool for families to manage children's health information. Lorraine also serves in several other professional capacities, including a consultant for the International Baha'i Library & Archives, the secretary of the South Central Regional Training Institute Board, president of HealthLine, and an adjunct professor for the UNT Department of Information Science. Lorraine holds a Master of Information Science and a Bachelor's in Radio-Television and Film. As a five-year breast cancer survivor, her understanding of patient needs is based on real-life experience. She believes deeply in the ability of communities to make meaningful change through efforts at the grassroots. Finally, Lorraine seeks to generate informative, empowering, and visually beautiful programming in all her work.

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