Company
Portfolio Data
Back to Company SearchResearch, Evaluation and Social Solutions, Inc. (REESSI)
UEI: J6NNERB6JR86
Number of Employees: 8
HUBZone Owned: Yes
Woman Owned: Yes
Socially and Economically Disadvantaged: Yes
SBIR/STTR Involvement
Year of first award: 2014
5
Phase I Awards
1
Phase II Awards
20%
Conversion Rate
$1,104,195
Phase I Dollars
$1,433,289
Phase II Dollars
$2,537,484
Total Awarded
Awards
Managing Adolescent Asthma Virtually (MAAV)
Amount: $254,991 Topic: NHLBI
ABSTRACT MANAGING ADOLESCENT ASTHMA VIRTUALLY (MAAV) The Issue: Although asthma may affect people of all ages, backgrounds, or sex, people of color are disproportionally burdened [1]. Nearly 25 million Americans are diagnosed with asthma, and the U.S. reports over 3,000 preventable deaths annually with 75% higher risk for Black populations compared to Whites [1, 2]. However, Black adolescents experience the highest asthma prevalence and mortality compared to all other pediatric groups [2]. In fact, Blacks experience risks for death caused by asthma at double to triple the likelihood of death for all other racial/ethnic groups[1, 2]. People living in poverty also experience higher rates of asthma, but as socioeconomic status increases, asthma rates wane [1, 2]. Conversely, asthma self- management education and support (ASMES) is associated with multiple positive health and economic outcomes (e.g., improved knowledge/self-care behaviors, increased lung capacity, increased use of primary care and preventive services, and reduced acute care and inpatient hospital costs) [1, 3, 4]. The REESSI Solution: The goal of this Phase I project, Managing Adolescent Asthma Virtually (MAAV), is to examine the feasibility and acceptability of a multi-component interactive digital app designed to help Black adolescents and their families manage and control childhood asthma by risk stratification algorithms or ASRA. As part of the proposed study, we will work with our End-User and Expert Advisory Panels to design a culturally and developmentally appropriate mobile-based intervention using a web platform. We will focus on seven potential key topics – 1-Asthma Overview and Risks Categories, 2-Management Through Behavioral Changes, 3-Psychosocial Stressors, 4-Asthma Medications, 5-Asthma Monitoring and Self- Management, 6-Preventing Acute and Chronic Complications, and 7- Managing Acute and Chronic Complications, each with six proposed intervention components in the final commercial version – (a) a medically accurate animated ELesson, tailored to risk, (b) follow-up group chat with a certified asthma educator, (c) provider/expert video, (d) offline scripted adolescent-caretaker discussion, (e) AI driven answers- solutions to frequent questions-issues and (f) daily customized adherence booster texts for one year. During Phase I, the project team will develop the content for (1) all seven modules and (2) the prototype, which will consist of the first two topics–each including a portion of the six components, respectively. The Project Team: The 10-month Phase I project will engage an accomplished transdisciplinary team of experts from the fields of public health, medicine, intervention research, and digital media technology who have successfully worked together on similar projects. The Study: Our study is guided by two primary aims: (1) develop the prototype with a focus on two of the seven topics in collaboration with our End-User Panel, Expert Advisory Panel, and (2) evaluate scientific merit (knowledge) and feasibility (usability, appeal, and satisfaction), while using the NIH Commercialization programs to dive deeper into markets and sustainable reimbursements for MAAV.
Tagged as:
SBIR
Phase I
2022
HHS
NIH
Virtually Empowering Schools with Adolescent Immigrant Students (VISA-IS)
Amount: $216,935 Topic: 102
ABSTRACT VISA-IS/US GAMES The Issue: Many Hispanic youth face culturally related challenges such as discrimination, being perceived as a “threat” by White and Black Americans, having to juggle and reconcile their heritage and US cultural systems, and acculturation conflicts with parents. These cultural challenges are also related to schooling: in the US, school “success” is often defined in individualistic terms – getting good grades, scoring well on standardized tests, and leaving home to attend a prestigious university. These definitions of success may clash with core Hispanic values toward supporting family and residing at home until marriage. Thus, the individualistic definitions of success often applied within the US school system, may not resonate with Hispanic youth – and these youth may not bond well enough with school to do their best work. Perhaps as a result, Hispanic youth are overrepresented among school dropouts and underachieving students, as well as among incarcerated individuals. Programs are needed to help Hispanic youth to face their cultural challenges successfully and achieve in school. Especially needed are scalable and easily accessible programs that lend themselves to widespread implementation. The Solution: The goal of this Phase I project, Virtually Empowering Schools with Adolescent Immigrant Students (VISA-IS) is to examine the feasibility and acceptability of digital serious games designed to help Hispanic youth address cultural challenges and overcome barriers to school engagement (where many of these barriers are culturally based). The proposed commercial name is US Games. The goal of his project is to examine the feasibility and acceptability of the digital serious game. As part of the proposed study, we will work with our expert panel to design four EduGames to focus on coping with discrimination, developing a sense of ethnic identity, interacting with other ethnic groups, and becoming comfortable with biculturalism. Each of these cultural issues are related to school bonding and performance. We will develop 10-minute prototypes for each of the four EduGames. Then, we will ask Hispanic youth and teachers to play the games and provide feedback in separate youth and teacher focus groups. Provided the feasibility and acceptability ratings are 4 or higher on a 1-5 scale, we will proceed to develop and test full versions of the four EduGames in a Phase II trial. The Team: The 12-month Phase I project will engage a seasoned and experienced transdisciplinary team of experts from the fields of psychology, public health, intervention research, and digital media technology who have successfully worked together on similar projects. The Study: Our study is guided by two primary aims: (1) develop the 10-minute game prototypes in collaboration with our expert panel, youth advisors and teachers; and (2) evaluate acceptability and feasibility using both quantitative (Likert scale surveys) and qualitative (focus group) methods.NARRATIVE VISA-IS/US GAMES Hispanic youth face important cultural challenges in the US, including discrimination, being blamed for many of the country’s social problems, having to reconcile their cultural heritage with US culture, and experiencing acculturation conflicts with parents. These cultural challenges may be linked with poor school bonding and performance among many Hispanic youth. In the proposed study, we will address this problem by developing four virtual reality, serious games to help Hispanic youth address these cultural challenges and improve their school bonding and performance. This project responds to three Healthy People 2030 proposed goals– 1) Eliminate health disparities, achieve health equity, and attain health literacy to improve the health and well-being of all. 2) Create social, physical, and economic environments that promote attaining full potential for health and well-being for all and 3) Promote healthy development, healthy behaviors and well-being across all life stages.
Tagged as:
STTR
Phase I
2020
HHS
NIH
Healthy Close Relationships (HCR) - Mobile
Amount: $225,000 Topic: NICHD
ABSTRACT HEALTHY CLOSE RELATIONSHIPSHCRMOBILEGrowing up in under resourced environmentse gpovertylow incomegeographical isolationfragile family structurescan seriously threaten an adolescent s successful passage to adulthoodResearchers have uncovered very separate and unequal pathways to adulthood for adolescents one for thehavesone for thehave notsand a path for those who are in betweenThe networks of close relationships ofhave notsare particularly important because of the extra challenges of growing up in under resourced environmentsThe changing nature of these relationships may make it particularly challenging for many adolescents to establish and maintain healthy relationshipssome adolescents may not feel very self efficacious regarding their close relationshipsDespite the importance of adolescentsnetwork of relationshipsour extensive search of healthy relationship programs and interventions revealed that no programs have simultaneously targeted relationships with parentspeersand romantic partnersMoreoverthe content of the existing programs focusing on one kind of relationship were rarely based on developmental theory and outcome measures were not closely linked to the program s contentThe goal of this Phase I project Healthy Close RelationshipsHCRMobile is to determine the feasibility and merit of mobile game app that provides adolescentsageswith the knowledgeskills and self efficacy to engage in and manage healthy relationships with parentspeersand romantic partnersWe build upon on our two decades of work developing risk reduction interventions for adolescents and successfully developing a set of Edugames that focus on positive possible identitiesTo guide the content development and gaming processthe REESSI team will use Bandura s Social Cognitive Theory for Health Promotionto select our change mechanism of promoting selfefficacy in relationshipsThe use of serious learning games to promote healthy relationships is a particularly promising stepSpecificallythe Edugames provide a means of simulating interactions with someone without requiring that the other person actually be presentmaking this approach more feasible than other intervention approachesOur overarching questions focus onathe end userschildren agedin out of school time settings and the staff who run these programs andbthe theorized processRegarding the endusersto what extent do they find the four prototype Edugames games to be usable and appealingRegarding the theorized processto what extent do children differ in their perceived capacity to maintain open communication with parents from pre survey to post surveyThis Phase I application is guided by four specific aimsThe Phase I aims over an eight month period areWith input from an established group of youth advisorsdevelop the curriculaplot arcs and game design documentGDDfor the prototypes of four EdugamesDevelop the web interface for the mobile game appBuild theminute prototypes for the four EdugamesConduct feasibility testing of the four prototype Edugames and associated off line activities at four out of school time program sitesThis project involves a trans disciplinary collaboration between REESSIone of the top adolescent development experts in the fieldDrWyndol FurmanUniversity of Denverfour youthserving organizations and a premier globally recognized gaming companyzGamesNARRATIVE HEALTHY CLOSE RELATIONSHIPSHCRMOBILE Given the early onset of most hurtful and risky behaviorsrisk reduction education and activities must take place before these behaviors are initiatedAdditionallytheInstitute of Medicine study on the promotion of youth development encourages federal agencies to expand their funding to research on personal and social assets needed to promote the successful transition to adulthoodThis project responds to two Healthy PeopleobjectivesAH HPIncrease the percentage of adolescents who participate in extracurricular and out of school activities and AH HPIncrease the percentage of vulnerable adolescents who are equipped with the services and skills necessary to transition into an independent and self sufficient adulthood
Tagged as:
SBIR
Phase I
2019
HHS
NIH
Evaluation Capacity Building Virtually - An ELearning Tool for Program Planning and Measuring Program Outcomes
Amount: $219,476 Topic: 102
ABSTRACT EVALUATION CAPACITY BUILDINGECBVIRTUALLY Lawmakers and the public have pushed for increased accountability in health and social programsAs a resultevaluators and evaluation skills have become very important to both large and small organizations providing health and social service programsHowevermuch of the public health workforce is not well equipped to handle these increased demands for outcomes data and researchMany federal agenciese gHealth and Human ServicesDepartment LaborDepartment of Justiceand private foundations are beginning to fund only organizations that deploy evidence based interventions demonstrating impact on behaviorse gindividualorganizationalcommunityOur firmthrough its national evaluation work has witnessedfirst handthe challenges faced by the staff and leadership of many organizations engaged in planning and responding to health issuesincludinglack of expertise in evaluation and the ability to capture data related to program outcomesadverse experiences with external evaluators and researcherslack of resourceslimited time and inadequate funds for independent evaluationsandfear of negative evaluation resultsThese inhibitors are also cited in literature and reports on evaluation capacity buildingEvaluation can require considerable time and resources and many organizations cannot afford to create separate evaluation departments or hire external evaluatorsEVALUATION CAPACITY BUILDINGVIRTUALLYECB Vis a product concept that has emerged from our firm syears of work in program planning and evaluation with government and nongovernment organizationsWe envision ECB V as customizedmultimedia Elearning courseECoursewith a supplemental EAssistant to transfer learning from the individual to the program and organizational levelsThe goal of this multi level Elearning and engagement tool is to improve the capacity of the program staff of community based organizations and state and local health departments to planimplement and evaluate programs that advance population health in the U SThe REESSI staff will focus on two key aims in carrying out this projectOur team will develop the ECB V prototype through iterative activities with experts and end users andevaluate the ECB V prototype using quantitative and qualitative methodsThe transdisciplinary team of population and public health expertsevaluators and software developers will engage in this proposed project to develop the prototype and conduct a feasibility study to determine the degree to which program staff and independent evaluators find the ECourse and EAssistant appealingusable and valuablefeasibilityand how the ECourse and EAssistant affect program staff knowledge of program planning and evaluationmeritThe development of the user process for the product will be guided by the Evaluation Capacity Building Theory of Change Model to design and deliver stimulating and interactive content with electronic surveys in a digital environmentECB V will consist of a comprehensive ECourse with eight learning modules and an EAssistant for on the job tasksThe proposed topicscontentfor the ECourse are based onthe Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Evaluation Guide andthe Office of Minority Health Evaluation ProtocolThe Phase I activities will provide the foundation for the construction of the full and final components of the ECourse and EAssistantThe Phase II activities will consist of a multi site randomized controlled evaluation that focuses on both individual and organization outcomese gattitudesevaluation knowledgepublic health core competency skillsreported changes in organizational systems and decision makingMedical advances and new technologies have provided people in America with the potential for longerhealthier lives more than ever beforeHoweverpersistent and well documented health disparities exist between different racial and ethnic populations and health equity remains elusiveAddressing disparities at the population level must involve both new and well established effortsA major goal of the U SDepartment of Health and Human ServicesHHSHealth Disparities Action Plan is to increase the efficiencytransparencyand accountability of HHS programsThis includes internal strategies and externally funded activitiesA primary strategy proposed in Healthy Peopleand the action plan is to reduce disparities in population health by increasing the availability and effectiveness of community based programs and policiesThis involves developing the capacity of frontline program staff to planimplement and evaluate interventions and programsThe Centers for Disease Control and PreventionCDCwhich funds a significant portion of the projects that focus on health equity health disparities views evaluation as a major tool for program improvement and accountability
Tagged as:
SBIR
Phase I
2018
HHS
NIH
A Virtual Learning World for Tweens to Experience Possible Selves (ME GAMES)
Amount: $1,433,289 Topic: 102
DESCRIPTIONprovided by applicantThe word adolescence derives from the Latin word "adolescere"meaning"to grow up"Adolescence is a crucial period of transition between childhood and legal adulthoodwith individuals following more uncertain and complex paths based on genderraceethnicitysocial classand geographyThe passage to adulthood revolves around a complex web of factorswhich include socialsocioeconomicand cultural contextsResearch studies have established that growing up in under resourced environmentse gpovertylow incomegeographical isolationfragile family structurescan seriously threaten a teen s successful passage to adulthoodEducation has become a primary source of social stratificationdividing the haves and the have notsAs a resultdropping out of high school pretty much consigns individuals to a life of permanent povertyand having only a high school degree offers career options that rarely pay a livable wageYoung people from low income families are considerably less likely than their higher income peers to move successfully through schooland more likely to drop outmaking it much more difficult for them to earn familysustaining wagesIt is not that these youth devalue academic success and attainmentbut rather they gradually may begin to see academic success as impossible even though it is still valuedPossible identities reflect how individuals think about their potential and their futreAdolescents living in under resourced environments rarely have the opportunities or means to reflect on and consider their future goalsdreamsthreatsfears and assetsHencean intervention focusing on these elements is necessaryAfterschool programs are an excellent location for these interventions because they provide a safe context for development of identitiesas well as interpretations of difficulties and strategies that can be used to attain positive possible selvesThis Phase II project completes the full development of ME GAMES tma digital media intervention focused on early adolescentsagesin afterschool settingsME GAMES tmwill be part of a virtual worldAfterschool Virtually renvironment that serves as a scaffold for multiple theory based EdugamesMy World of DreamsThe Valley of OthersDisappointments Bridge and The Sea of Hopeand structured on line and off line activities linked to themThe goal of ME GAMES tmis to support early adolescentssuccessful transition to adulthood by increasing their academic engagementmotivationand performance through digital learning activities that make the future feel close and connected to the presentpromote a productive interpretation of experienced difficulties and create a link between possible selves and current actionUsing a virtual world with different Edugamesnot only creates a feasible and scalable alternative to a totally face to face interventionit also offers an appealing space n its own rightespecially for early adolescentsagedAlmost alladolescents currently go online daily and nearly three in fourplay gamesregardless of the socioeconomic statusageraceor genderThis product will be subscription based and licensed to afterschool programs for use as an adjunct to other services and activities they provideIn this Phase II projectREESSI proposes to continue the research and development activities of the successful Phase I studybased on the outcomes and lessons learnedThe setting for implementation and evaluation will belocal Boys and Girls Clubs in the United StatesThe REESSI team will complete the Phase II tasks utilizing the foundation of five key aimsDevelop the final After School Virtually rvirtual world based on the Phase I paper version of this worldThis world includes seven componentsthe orientation theatrethe gamesAima site for structured reflections after each gamea site for structured chats after each gameapproved personal pagesprogram newsroomprogram neighborhoods and a parentsplaceRefine and complete the final versions of all four EdugamesMy World of DreamsThe Valley of OthersDisappointments Bridge and Sea of HopeRefine and complete the post game face to face structured activities based on their Phase I developmentThere are two elementsstructured discussions with a supportive adult in the participant s life and structured group discussions with a designated program staff memberBeta Test each of the elements of the virtual world and the face to face activities at two Boys and Girls Club sites and after the outcomes study conduct cognitive interviews with a sample of study participants to understand what elements of the virtual world and Edugames caused the most impact andConduct a randomized controlled trialRCTto test the effects of the full interventionwhich includes the virtual worldEdugames and the face to face activitiesThe RCT will assess the effect of participation on the theoretical process model of changeidentity based motivationformerly possible selvesand test the effect of participation on change in academic outcomesschool gradesattendance from school recordsand selfreported engagement and time spent on homeworkREESSI will engage and strategically manage a transdisciplinary team of seasoned experts that includes developmental psychologists behavioral researchersresearch assistantsa statisticianyouth development expertsintervention and curriculum developerscreative and technical writers and gaming digital media experts
Tagged as:
SBIR
Phase II
2016
HHS
NIH
A Virtual Learning World for Urban Tweens to Experience Possible Selves
Amount: $187,793 Topic: NIMHD
DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): POSSIBLY ME DIGISODES: Adolescence is a crucial period of transition between childhood and adulthood, with teens following more uncertain and complex paths based on gender, race, ethnicity, social class, and geography (Furstenberg et al., 2006 and Osgood et al., 2005). Youth residing in urban environments face persistent personal and institutional challenges, such as violence, broken family structures, poverty and under-resourced schools that complicate their paths to adulthood. The passage to adulthood is varied based on a complex web of factors, which include social, socioeconomic, and cultural contexts (Bronfenbrenner, 1979). Research studies have established that growing up in poverty and living in low-income neighborhoods can seriously threaten a teen's successful passage to adulthood (Guldi, Page, and Stevens, 2007; Osgood et al., 2005). Researchers have uncovered very separate and unequal pathways to adulthood for teens-one for the haves , one for the have-nots ,
Tagged as:
SBIR
Phase I
2014
HHS
NIH