Funding Opportunities

The OMHDE releases three funding opportunities throughout the year: Historically Black Colleges and University (HBCU) contracts; Community-Based and Faith-Based Organization Competitive Grant Awards; and Community-Based Sponsorships.

Historically Black Colleges and University Contracts

The OMHDE contracts with HBCUs across Tennessee to conduct campus-based and student-led prevention activities to reduce risk factors and to promote health behaviors for students, staff and neighboring communities, including risk assessment, education and awareness, and engagement in health promotions.  Under these contracts, HBCUs are also required to identify, train, and engage students to learn and build skills that lead to volunteer and/or career leadership opportunities in public health, clinical practice, and health research.  The goal is to help increase access to a diverse and culturally-competent health workforce for people in Tennessee. 

Community- and Faith-Based Organization Competitive Grant Awards

The OMHDE issues a Request for Application (RFA) for soliciting applications from Community-based and Faith-based organizations to produce innovative strategies to help improve the health of local communities by incorporating Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) into implementation strategies.  The RFA is currently closed for this funding cycle but will open again next funding cycle.  Please check back for more information or click the link below to sign up to receive upcoming funding information.  Note that successful applicants will propose to initiate or conduct activities that address health disparities and SDOH through the following objectives:

  • Engage target populations with health disparities;
  • Identify SDOH that influence the conditions of populations, particularly among racial and ethnic minority populations (i.e., African Americans or Blacks, Hispanics or Latinos, and other groups with health disparities) as well as targeted health improvement outcomes for the targeted population (s);
  • Identify sustainaable strategies to improve health outcomes through "upstream" prevention approaches and/or activities that improve access to health services;
  • Plan and implement activities to address at least one identified SDOH;
  • Measure the progress in attaining goals for improved health outcome(s);
  • Evaluate the success of the partnership in accomplishing the project's goals; and 
  • Disseminate outcomes to other ogranizations and communities.

Community-Based Sponsorships

The OMHDE provides Sponsorships designed to support community-engaged events, activities, and training sessions that identify and address causes of health disparities.  We aim to facilitate the development of effective and sustainable approaches to promote health and prevent disease in underserved communities.  Sponsorships for projects are awarded based on funding availability.  More information will be released on this upcoming funding soon.


For additional funding information please Click Here to view the TDH funding opportunity page.


The Office of Minority Health and Disparities Elimination would like to stay in contact with you to provide information on our funding opportunities and community engagement projects.  Please click the button below to enter your contact information and you will be added to our contact directory.