At a glance
The purpose of the GRASP Strategic Plan (2024 – 2028) is to reinforce the importance of the relationship between place and health and fortify the GRASP identity, vision, purpose, and direction. The GRASP Strategic Plan, which articulates key programmatic goals and strategies, serves to shape the work of GRASP and ensures that GRASP remains focused on transformational, meaningful and impactful work at the intersection of place and health now and into the future. A summary of the GRASP Strategic Plan appears below and the full plan will be released in late 2024.
Vision - extended
The places of our lives – our homes, workplaces, schools, parks, and houses of worship – affect the quality of our health and influence our experience with disease and well-being.
Mission
GRASP leads the application of geospatial science, data, analysis, technology, and visualization at the intersection of place and health. The Program strengthens public health science and practice to protect communities from environmental exposures, prevent chronic and infectious disease, and promote a healthier built environment. GRASP enhances CDC/ATSDR public health emergency readiness, response, and recovery by providing geospatial expertise, guidance, and support.
Goal 1: Research, analysis, and visualization
Research, examine, and visualize patterns at the intersection of place and health and integrate findings into public health science and practice.
Place, context, and geographic relationships have long been essential in informing a deeper understanding of public health at community, national, and global scales. Through the lens of place, GRASP scientists study patterns in the areas of contaminant exposure, environmental health, public health emergencies, infectious and chronic disease, and injury. GRASP will continue to advance place-based research and promote the integration of findings into public health science and practice.
Goal 2: Collaboration and partnership development
Foster collaborations by identifying and advancing opportunities to integrate geospatial methods, data, and tools into the work of CDC/ATSDR and public health partners.
Collaborations with partners at CDC/ATSDR, HHS, STLT organizations, academia, and beyond are essential to the application of place within public health research and practice. Meaningful and sustained partnerships will ensure the public health community is equipped to develop, accelerate, and sustain initiatives at the intersection of place and health.
Goal 3: Workforce development, training and geospatial literacy
Expand geospatial literacy, knowledge, skills, and abilities among public health professionals at CDC/ATSDR and in the broader public health community.
Expand geospatial literacy, knowledge, skills, and abilities among public health professionals at CDC/ATSDR and in the broader public health community.
Goal 4: Geospatial community
Cultivate a vibrant community among public health professionals and champions of geospatial technology to share ideas and advance innovation in geospatial science, technology, data, and visualization.
A strong and connected geospatial community that shares ideas, builds awareness, and cultivates relationships fuels the advancement of place-based science and technology. GRASP will continue to foster a vibrant and expanding community centered on advancing the work at the intersection of place and health.
Goal 5: Geospatial technology and data for public health action
Develop, integrate, and sustain geospatial technology, data, tools, and standards within the public health technology ecosystem to accelerate informed public health action.
In an increasingly connected world, public health organizations require resilient technology, robust informatics management, and meaningful, timely data to inform effective public health action. Using modern cloud technology and innovative data science, GRASP will continue to fuse place-based data, tools, and processes into public health science, practice, and surveillance.
Goal 6: Excellence in management, operations, communication and evaluation
Sustain a culture of excellence in program management, communications, and evaluation to support transformational contributions to public health science and practice.
Achieving excellence in program management, budgeting, operations, reporting, communications, and evaluation is essential to advancing transformational contributions to public health science and practice. GRASP will continue to sustain a culture of management excellence that fuels collaboration, advances place-based science and analysis, and accelerates innovation in shared technology and data.