Become a COPHI Member
At the Colorado Poverty & Health Initiative (COPHI), we believe that advancing health and opportunity requires a collaborative community of researchers, practitioners, educators, and partners who are committed to addressing the social and structural drivers of poverty. Our membership program welcomes individuals at every stage of their professional journey — from students and emerging scholars to established faculty and community experts — who want to contribute to meaningful, actionable work.
Membership is free and open to faculty, staff, trainees, students, and external partners whose interests align with COPHI’s mission. Eligible individuals demonstrate a record of work — such as work in the field, lived experience, grant funding, peer‑reviewed publications, or leadership of courses or trainings — or a strong and developing interest in the intersections between poverty and health. Areas of focus may include, but are not limited to:
- Housing instability
- Social instability
- Economic instability
- Other related social or structural determinants of health
For early career faculty developing their independent portfolio
Eligibility Requirements
Mentored members are generally within the first 5 years of their first faculty appointment or are emerging professionals who demonstrate clear interest and early progress in poverty and health related work. Criteria include early publications, on the ground work, project involvement, or developing grant activity.
Expectations
- Participate in COPHI’s events, learning sessions or project teams, as appropriate
- Works in Progress Groups
- Micro Credentialing
- Journal Club
- Community of Practice
- Engage in mentorship and skill-building activities
For established contributors aligned with COPHI’s mission
Eligibility Requirements
Full affiliate members are faculty and external professionals with an active record of work related to poverty and health such as funded projects, peer-reviewed publications, training programs, or community engagement.
Expectations
- Collaborate with COPHI on research, training, or programmatic activities
- Mentor emerging affiliates
For senior leaders and experienced faculty deeply engaged in poverty and health work
Eligibility Requirements
Core members are established faculty who demonstrate significant leadership in research, evaluation, education, clinical practice, or policy related to poverty and health. This includes contributing strong scholarly portfolios and major roles in COPHI-affiliated initiatives
Expectations
- Provide strategic input into COPHI initiatives
- Engage in collaborative research or program leadership
- Serve as a mentor or advisor when appropriate
For staff, APPs, students, trainees, and community partners (including those at other Universities, non-profit and non-governmental organizations)
Adjunct members contribute to the COPHI community through learning, collaboration and participation in events and opportunities.
Eligibility requirements
- Statement of interest
- Current Resume/CV
- Demonstrated interest in poverty, community engagement or health equity work
Benefits of Membership
- Networking & Collaboration: Members have access to a broad network of peers and COPHI leadership, helping identify collaborations for grants, publications, program development, and shared resources such as research staff or statistical support.
- Mentorship Opportunities: Members may receive mentorship tailored to their needs, supporting emerging work in research, education, evaluation, or community engagement.
- Work in Progress (WIP) Group: COPHI hosts a monthly WIP group open to early‑stage investigators (fellows, Assistant Professors) as well as mid‑ and late‑career faculty. Members receive support in refining research ideas, expanding collaborations, and navigating project development.
- Events & Trainings: Members have access to COPHI‑organized or co‑sponsored events, including seminars, trainings, workshops, and community-engaged learning opportunities. Members may also have opportunities to present their work at these events.
- Email & Quarterly Updates: Members receive quarterly newsletters and listserv updates with funding opportunities, events, highlights, and COPHI program announcements.
- Professional Recognition: Members may list their COPHI affiliation on CVs, biosketches, resumes, and other professional documents.
- Promotion of Member Work: COPHI may highlight members’ work through newsletters, social media, the COPHI website, and other appropriate channels.
- Proposal Support: Members may reference COPHI as an institutional resource on proposals, and COPHI will provide letters of support or collaboration for grants and projects, when appropriate.
- Opportunities to Present: Members may share their work within COPHI’s Work in Progress Group or other scholarly forums hosted by COPHI.
- Educational Access: Members are eligible to participate in COPHI’s educational offerings, including the Epidemiology of Poverty & Social Determinants and Poverty, Health, and Social Structures mini‑credentials.
- Rapid Research to Impact Proposals: Members may access COPHI’s Rapid Research to Impact mechanisms, which provide support for conceptualizing, developing, or disseminating policy‑relevant work.
- Awards Eligibility: Members become eligible for COPHI awards, recognizing contributions to research, education, community engagement, and policy impact.
Membership Expectations
- Align affiliated work with COPHI’s mission and values
- Use COPHI supporting image appropriately and not for partisan or advocacy work (per MOU guidance)
- Respond to periodic requests for updates or metrics (e.g., annual reporting)
- Acknowledge COPHI support appropriately in publications or presentations, where relevant
- “This work was supported in part by the Colorado Poverty and Health Initiative (COPHI)"