Minority Research Grant Program

Minority Research Grant Program
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The CMS Office of Minority Health administers the Minority Research Grant Program (MRGP). The purpose of the grant program is to support researchers at minority serving institutions that are exploring how CMS can better meet the health care needs of racial and ethnic minority groups, people with disabilities, members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) community, individuals with limited English proficiency, individuals residing in rural areas, and individuals adversely affected by persistent poverty or inequality.

 
 
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CMS OMH Research Grant Program Video

Are you a health equity researcher at a minority-serving institution who is looking for funding? View this video to learn about the MRGP’s benefits.


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2023 Awardees

CMS has funded health equity research at minority-serving institutions through the MRGP for two decades. We recently announced our 2023 grantees, who will examine critical public health disparities.

CMS OMH is proud to award three recipients $333,000 each and expand our commitment to advancing health equity among the populations represented in CMS programs:

Morgan State University, Racial Disparities in Maternal Child Health and the Role of Doulas in Reducing Disparities
One of the nation’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Morgan State University will examine disparities in maternal health and explore and identify the barriers and enablers to underserved women utilizing the doula model of care to reduce these disparities. To achieve these specific aims, the investigators will conduct focus groups of minority women living in Baltimore who have had a live birth within the past two years, in-depth follow-up interviews with a select number of focus group participants, and additional focus groups with doulas who have served for at least two years in the Baltimore area.

University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Community Peer Education Project: Prisoner Health is Public Health
The Health Sciences Center at University of New Mexico, a Hispanic-serving institution, will launch a two-year evaluation of the Community Peer Education Project (CPEP), multi-level interventions that support the reentry of incarcerated individuals into the New Mexico community. In 2020, Project Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (ECHO) partnered with the New Mexico Corrections Department (NMCD) to launch CPEP that trains incarcerated individuals as Community Peer Educators to address the health disparities people exiting incarceration experience when they reenter their community. These programs create a social support network that connects people exiting incarceration to resources that address issues related to social determinants of health (housing instability, food insecurity, transportation, etc.) and provides community-clinical linkages (such as supporting individuals in signing up for Medicare/Medicaid as appropriate).

California State University San Marcos Corporation, Community Schools Bridges2Health Research
The National Latino Research Center at California State University San Marcos, a Hispanic-serving institution, will develop and evaluate “Bridges2Health,” a Community Health advocate program developed by a Federally Qualified Healthcare Center (FQHC). The project will tailor and evaluate the intervention within two recently designated “Community Schools” within the Vista Unified School District in North County San Diego. A Bridges2Health Community Health Advocate from Vista Community Clinic will provide support within two community schools to assist ethnic/racial minority, low-income, and limited English proficient students and their families establish a medical home, connect them with community resources to address health needs, increase enrollment and sustain engagement with Medicaid/CHIP and SNAP programs, and plan health specific events in the community.


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Eligibility

Health equity researchers at the following types of institutions are eligible to apply:

  • Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs)
  • Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs)
  • Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)
  • Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs)
  • Predominantly Black Institutions (PBIs)
  • Native American Serving Non-Tribal Institutions (NASNTIs)
  • Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-Serving Institutions (ANNHSIs)

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Where to Apply

The application period for the 2023 Notice of Funding Opportunity has closed. A Notice of Funding Opportunity for 2024 is planned. Review the program’s Frequently Asked Questions.


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Program Summary Report (PDF)

This report provides a snapshot of the MRGP from 2005-2022, in addition to the health disparities research projects of 54 MRGP grantees active during this time period. It includes an overview of the geographic distribution of their projects, their target populations and conditions, and key intervention outcomes. The research findings of MRGP-funded projects on African Americans and Hispanics have been cited in more than 190 publications.


For More Information

Download the MRGP Flyer (PDF)

Subscribe to the MRGP Listserv

Page Last Modified:
09/19/2023 11:38 AM