Deadline: 1-Aug-23
The HHS Office of Minority Health (OMH) anticipates funding for an initiative to implement a fellowship program at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to provide training in health equity issues and leadership to early career individuals to improve the health of racial and ethnic minority and other disadvantaged populations.
The Health Equity Leadership Development Initiative aims to address the gap in federal fellowship opportunities for individuals interested in working at HHS to advance health equity and address the social determinants of health through health policies, programs, and practices. In addition, the Program is expected to support efforts to promote diversity, including racial and ethnic minorities, in senior positions within HHS agencies by providing professional development and career pathway opportunities.
The Health Equity Leadership Development Initiative aims to enhance skills and competencies necessary for federal leadership service among participants through:
- a curriculum focused on health care policy, leadership skill building and cultural competence, and aligned with core competencies for Federal leadership (e.g., leading change, leading people, results driven, business acumen, and building coalitions); and
- fellowship-related experiences, supplemental learning opportunities, and mentorship. For the Health Equity Leadership Development Initiative, OMH will provide a curriculum and training modules for recipients to use. Recipients will be expected to develop and implement an experiential training in federal leadership core competency areas, health disparities and health equity, public health, and social determinants of health. In addition, recipients will provide mentoring and coaching to fellows to support leadership practice. Recipients’ project management and oversight will include fellow recruitment, host site orientation, fellow selection, stipend distribution, and identification of housing options. Recipients will also participate in process and outcomes evaluation activities led by OMH and will document and disseminate project findings to all key stakeholders.
Expectations for Funded Projects
- Award recipients under this announcement should meet each of the below expectations in the execution of their funded project.
- Develop and implement a Health Equity Leadership Development Project
- They expect recipients to develop and implement a project to support a 9 to 12-month fellowship for graduate-level students and recent graduates who have completed their graduate degree within the previous two years. The project should focus on developing skills and creating opportunities for federal experience in health equity, health disparities, public health, and the social determinants of health for project participants. Participants will benefit from participation in the following ways:
- Preparation for career opportunities within public health agencies
- Increased awareness and competency in health equity knowledge and practice
- They expect recipients to develop and implement a project to support a 9 to 12-month fellowship for graduate-level students and recent graduates who have completed their graduate degree within the previous two years. The project should focus on developing skills and creating opportunities for federal experience in health equity, health disparities, public health, and the social determinants of health for project participants. Participants will benefit from participation in the following ways:
- Provide fellowship project management and oversight.
- They expect recipients to develop and implement a process to manage and provide oversight of the project.
- Participate in evaluation activities
- They expect recipients to participate in the process and outcomes evaluation. They expect recipients to work with them to evaluate the implementation and impact of the initiative, which is expected to result in the following primary outcomes at the individual fellow level:
- Increased opportunities for federal fellowship experiences in advancing health equity and addressing the social determinants of health through health policies, programs, and practices.
- Increased knowledge and technical skills that align with the core Federal leadership competencies (e.g., leading change, leading people, results-driven, business acumen, and building coalitions).
- Increased competency in health equity knowledge and practice.
- They expect recipients to participate in the process and outcomes evaluation. They expect recipients to work with them to evaluate the implementation and impact of the initiative, which is expected to result in the following primary outcomes at the individual fellow level:
- Disseminate project knowledge and findings
- Recipients should document project knowledge and findings, to include the implementation process, lessons learned, successes and challenges. Recipients should communicate and disseminate project knowledge and findings, to include dissemination to federal, state, territorial and tribal public health agencies; policymakers; community organizations, community members; and other stakeholders. Dissemination products should be freely, immediately, and equitably accessible to the public.
- Disparity Impact Statement
- They expect recipients to develop a disparity impact statement (DIS) during the project period using local data to identify populations at highest risk for health disparities relative to this initiative.
Funding Information
- Award Ceiling: $700,000
- Anticipated Initial Budget Period Length 12 months.
Eligibility Criteria
- Any public or private nonprofit entity located in a State (which includes one of the 50 United States, District of Columbia, Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, Guam, Republic of Palau, Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of the Marshall Islands) is eligible to apply for an award under this announcement.
- Private non-profit institutions of higher education are eligible to apply.
- Faith-based organizations and American Indian/Alaskan Native/Native American (AI/AN/NA) organizations that are public or non-profit private entities are eligible to apply.
- Public or non-profit community-based organizations (CBOs) are eligible to apply.
- Examples of eligible Organizations include:
- State governments
- County governments
- City or township governments
- Special district governments
- Independent school districts
- Public and State controlled institutions of higher education
- Native American tribal governments (other than Federally recognized tribal governments)
- Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
- Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
For more information, visit Grants.gov.