On September 22, 2022, University of Bridgeport was awarded a $1,500,000 grant from the US Department of Health and Human Services’ Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). In addition to helping provide equitable health care to people who are geographically isolated and economically or medically vulnerable, HRSA programs support the training of health professionals and distributing them to areas where they are needed most.
Most of the three-year grant (awarded at $500,000 per year) will be directed toward scholarships. The funds will support the SCHOLARS Project (Students Creating Healthier Outcomes in Local Areas and Regions) to help to address the need for public health employees by providing scholarships for UB’s Master of Science in Public Health (MPH) program.
The MPH is designed to increase the capacity in public health systems by increasing the number of diverse, culturally and linguistically competent public health professionals in the state of Connecticut and the nation. The HRSA grant will enable UB to add motivational interviewing, leadership development workshops, and data to policy workshops to the MPH curriculum, enhancing students’ ability to apply academic concepts to real-world public health scenarios. In total, scholarships will be awarded to 120 students.
“I am thrilled for this incredible opportunity for our MPH students,” offered Meredith Gaffney, director of the MPH program at UB. “This HRSA grant will allow us to continue our mission to develop the next generation of public health professionals to advance health equity and promote individual, family, and community health through innovative education, community service, and research.”
“This incredible support really changes the career paths for our Master’s in Public Health students,” added UB president Danelle Wilken. “In turn, when they step out into the workforce and into their chosen fields, those students will have an impact on communities that are often unsupported and overlooked. The HRSA grants really do represent multiple layers of beneficiaries.”
Learn more about UB’s Master’s in Public Health program.