Centers of Excellence (COE)
🏛 Health Resources and Services Administration (HHS-HRSA)
✓ Free, no account · Source: Grants.gov · Last verified Jul 27, 2026
Can you apply?
This grant is for health professions schools and public/nonprofit health or educational entities operating programs to support underrepresented minority students in health careers.
Schools must serve underrepresented minority students and offer health professions education programs. They partner with community-based health facilities and develop recruitment pipelines. Programs focus on academic support, minority health curricula, faculty recruitment, and student research.
Eligible organizations strengthen educational capacity through strategic partnerships. They enhance clinical education and expand pathways into health professions for underrepresented minorities. Both schools and community health organizations can participate as partners.
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Key dates
- Jul 22, 2026 Applications open
- Feb 2, 2027 Application deadline in 188 days
- Jun 1, 2027 Award announced
- Jul 1, 2027 Project start
Program description
The Centers of Excellence Program provides grants to health professions schools and other public and nonprofit health or educational entities to assist schools in supporting programs of excellence in health professions education for under-represented minority individuals.
By statute, the Centers of Excellence Program awards funding to organizations to operate programs that establish, strengthen, and expand activities to enhance the academic performance of underrepresented minority students and improve information resources, clinical education, curricula related to minority health issues. Through strategic partnerships, grant recipients develop a large competitive applicant pool, establish a pipeline for health professions careers, enhance academic performance, expand the capacity of schools to recruit faculty, and provide training to students at community-based health facilities. Additionally, the Centers of Excellence Program supports faculty and student research on health issues particularly affecting underrepresented minority groups.
Who can apply
Eligible applicants
Demographic focus
How to apply
Application links
Key dates & requirements
Required documents
- SF-424 (Application for Federal Assistance)
- Project narrative describing programs and activities
- Budget and budget narrative
- Organizational capacity documentation
- Letters of commitment from partners
- Curriculum materials or syllabus samples (if applicable)
Program contact
- 👤 CDR Lorener Brayboy
- 📧 lbrayboy@hrsa.gov
- 📞 301-287-0036
Funding track record
Recent awards under CFDA 93.157 from the last 3 years — real organizations that won funding through this same program.
Top 10 Largest Recent Awards
-
$24,283,808
-
$24,121,565
-
$23,446,537
-
$22,850,937
-
$5,399,704
-
$5,383,832
-
$5,338,765
-
$5,283,978
-
$5,276,066
-
$5,262,831
Top States by Funding
- TN 2 awards $48.4M
- AL 1 awards $23.4M
- LA 1 awards $22.9M
- TX 6 awards $19.0M
- CA 5 awards $15.7M
Source: USAspending.gov — federal spending transparency. Data covers last 3 years.
Funding history
Annual funding for this program — Federal obligations (CFDA 93.157). How funding has trended year over year.
| 2024 | $26,304,847 | |
| 2025 | $26,760,719 | |
| 2026 est. | $28,422,000 |
FAQ
Who is eligible to apply?
Health professions schools, public agencies, and nonprofit health/educational entities. Schools must demonstrate commitment to educating underrepresented minority students.
What activities does this grant fund?
Academic support programs, curriculum development on minority health, faculty recruitment, student research, and community-based clinical training partnerships.
When is the deadline?
The deadline is February 2, 2027 (fixed). Check the announcement for any prior notice requirements.
What's the typical award range?
Awards range from $1 to $686,000, depending on organizational capacity and project scope.
Do I need to provide cost-sharing?
No. This grant does not require cost-sharing or matching funds from your organization.
💡 Tips for applicants
- Emphasize your track record recruiting and retaining underrepresented minority students in health professions programs.
- Describe specific curriculum content on minority health issues and how it reaches students.
- Detail partnerships with community-based health facilities and how they strengthen clinical training.
- Show how your program builds pipelines from high school through health professions careers.
- Include data on baseline academic performance and measurable goals for improvement.
⚠️ Common mistakes
Weak evidence of commitment to underrepresented minority recruitment and retention. Vague partnerships without clear roles, timelines, or resource commitments. Missing baseline data or realistic, measurable outcomes for student academic performance improvement.
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