HHS and the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT have established an $80 million program to strengthen U.S. public health informatics and data science by diversifying the health IT workforce, they said June 17.
As part of the launch, ONC is inviting colleges and universities to apply for funding through a consortium that will develop the curriculum, recruit and train participants, secure paid internship opportunities, and help with career placement in public health agencies, public health-focused nonprofits or public health-focused private sector or clinical settings.
ONC in particular is looking for applicants from historically Black colleges and universities, tribal colleges and universities, Hispanic serving institutions, Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-serving institutions and other minority-serving institutions.
"Representation is important — particularly when we are deploying technology to tackle our most pressing healthcare challenges. Ensuring that diverse representation is better reflected all throughout our healthcare system is priority," HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra said in a June 17 news release. "With this funding, we will be able to train and create new opportunities for thousands of minorities long underrepresented in our public health informatics and technology fields."
The program aims to train more than 4,000 people over four years through an interdisciplinary approach in public health informatics and technology. ONC will award up to $75 million to cooperative agreement recipients and use the remaining $5 million to support the program’s administration.
Click here to learn more about the funding opportunity.