Centers of Excellence

Program Objectives

The goal of this program is to assist eligible schools in supporting programs of excellence in health professions education for under-represented minority individuals. The grantee is required to use the funds awarded: (1) To develop a large competitive applicant pool through linkages with institutions of higher education, local school districts, and other community-based entities and establish an education pipeline for health professions careers; (2) to establish, strengthen, or expand programs to enhance the academic performance of under-represented minority students attending the school; (3) to improve the capacity of such school to train, recruit, and retain under-represented minority faculty including the payment of stipends and fellowships; (4) to carry out activities to improve the information resources, clinical education, curricula and cultural competence of the graduates of the schools as it relates to minority health issues; (5) to facilitate faculty and student research on health issues particularly affecting under-represented minority groups, including research on issues relating to the delivery of health care; (6) to carry out a program to train students of the school in providing health services to a significant number of under-represented minority individuals through training provided to such students at community-based health facilities that provide such health services and are located at a site remote from the main site of the teaching facilities of the school; and (7) to provide stipends as appropriate.