Dr. Dodge-Francis is nationally recognized for her research, program/curriculum development, and evaluation work in chronic disease within tribal communities. Recently, she received funding from the Milagro Foundation to create the DreamCatcher project and a five-year National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease (NIDDK) Short-Term Education Program for Underrepresented Persons (STEP-UP) to increase health/research skills and provide college readiness.