Minority Research Grant Program
Minority Research Grant Program
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 who are investigating or addressing health care disparities affecting people from all minority populations, including 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 people otherwise adversely affected by persistent poverty or inequality.
Apply to the 2024 Minority Research Grant Program Funding Opportunity
The 2024 Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is now open. Researchers at one of the eligible minority-serving institutions (MSIs) investigating health disparities and exploring how CMS can better meet the needs of minority populations can apply for and receive up to $255,000 to fund your research. To learn more about the program, review the FAQ document (PDF).
Eligible MSIs include:
- Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)
- Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs)
- Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs)
- Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs)
- Native American Serving Non-Tribal Institutions (NASNTIs),
- Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-Serving Institutions (ANNHSIs), and
- Predominantly Black Institutions (PBIs)
Apply for funding on grants.gov using the MRGP grant number CMS-1W1-24-001. The application deadline is 6/3/2024.
CMS OMH Research Grant Program Video
Are you a health equity researcher at a minority-serving institution in search of funding? View this video to learn about the MRGP’s benefits.
Eligibility
Health equity researchers at the following types of institutions are eligible to apply:
- Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)
- Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs)
- Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs)
- Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs)
- Native American Serving Non-Tribal Institutions (NASNTIs),
- Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-Serving Institutions (ANNHSIs), and
- Predominantly Black Institutions (PBIs)
Where to Apply
The 2024 funding opportunity for the MRGP is now open. Ensure that your institution is eligible and submit your application to the funding opportunity CMS-1W1-24-001 on grants.gov by 6/3/2024.
Grant Writing Resources
- Fundamentals of Grant Writing – This course reviews the basic steps in drafting a grant proposal for funding, including planning, researching, and writing a grant as well as best practices for following up with potential funders.
- Grants 101 – Provides a brief overview of the grant lifecycle, pre-award phase, award phase, post-award phase, and getting started checklist.
- Tips for Preparing Grant Proposals – Provides helpful tips on writing grant proposals.
- Write a Strong Application – This page provides an overview of the application process including tips for writing a strong application and the submission process on Grants.gov.
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.
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.
For More Information
Download the MRGP Flyer (PDF)
Contact OMHGrants@cms.hhs.gov
Subscribe to the MRGP Listserv
Page Last Modified:
04/08/2024 06:47 AM