The Lesbian Health Fund, a program of GLMA: Health Professionals Advancing LGBT Equality, was established in 1992 to define, study, and educate lesbians and their healthcare providers about lesbian health issues. LHF's mission is to improve the health of lesbians, other sexual minority women, and their families through research.
The Fund supports research in the areas of understanding social, family, and interpersonal influences as sources of stress or support; eliminating inequalities in health care, including barriers to care, and improving quality of care and utilization rates; development and testing of interventions to address mental and physical health needs of lesbians and other sexual minority women, including but not limited to depression, identity related issues, eating disorders, substance abuse, obesity, cancer risks, cardiovascular disease, and sexually transmitted infections; and sexual and reproductive health, including family and parenting issues.
It is expected that the results from LHF-funded studies will be published in peer-reviewed journals. LHF also requires a presentation of original research findings to be made at either the GLMA Annual Conference or at the Women In Medicine Conference. Research budgets can include up to $750 to subsidize travel costs.
Grants of up to $10,000 will be awarded for qualifying research projects. In general, investigators are notified by mail approximately two months from the application deadline of approval for funding.