New York, NY - July 2, 2001 - The Project on Death in America (PDIA) has committed two million dollars to recognize outstanding social work faculty and clinicians who are committed to improving the care of the dying and the bereaved. In the third cycle of this initiative PDIA has granted six awards, totaling $370,783. To date, PDIA has awarded over $1.2 million dollars through this initiative.These awards encourage research and training projects that reflect collaboration between schools of social work and practice sites to improve care for the dying. The awards promote the visibility and prestige of social workers committed to end-of-life care, and enhance their effectiveness as academic leaders, role models, and mentors for future generations of social workers. David Cherin, Assistant Professor at the University of Washington School of Social Work says of the award, "it has put me on the map at my university as a "scholar" in the field of end-of-life care, and enables me to gather momentum and people around this critical area of social work."

The mission of the Project on Death in America is to understand and transform the culture and experience of dying and bereavement through initiatives in research and scholarship, and to foster innovations in the provision of care, public education, professional education, and public policy. PDIA is one of the Open Society Institute's U.S. Programs, part of the Soros network of Foundations. OSI-US promotes programs that strengthen democracy and address barriers to justice and opportunity.

A list of the awards for the third cycle follows:

David A. Cherin, MSW, PhD
University of Washington School of Social Work, Seattle, WA
The University of Washington's School of Social Work End-of-Life Care Knowledge Institute

Ellen L Csikai, MSW, MPH, PhD
Mary Raymer, MSW, ACSW
Stephen F. Austin State University, Nacogdoches, TX
National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, Williamsburg, MI
The Social Work End-of-Life Care Educational Program: A National Initiative

Judith Dobrof, DSW
The Mount Sinai School of Medicine, NY
Caregivers and Professionals Partnership: Assessing a Structured Support Program

Betty J. Kramer, PhD
Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System Research and Sponsored Programs, Madison, WI
Strengthening Social Work Education to Improve End-of-Life Care

Shirley Otis-Green, MSW, LCSW, ACSW
City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA
Proyecto de Transiciones: Enhancing End of Life and Bereavement Support Services for Latinos within a Cancer Center Setting

Amanda Sutton CSW, BCD
Yvette Colon, MSW, ACSW
Cancer Care, Inc., NY
The End-of-Life Internet Forum