Best Grants for Public Health in Louisiana

Nonprofit community coalitions in Louisiana addressing major public health concerns can seek US $250,000 - US $1,000,000 to improve community health outcomes. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana Foundation supports 501(c)(3) and qualifying private operating foundations focused on health or education, with a required 1:1 match and a quarterly Letter of Intent process.

Louisiana medical students interested in public health and related research can access funding through Alpha Omega Alpha’s Carolyn L. Kuckein Student Research Fellowship, which awards US $7,000 for 2–12 month projects. Eligible first- and second-year students at schools with active AΩA chapters may propose clinical, epidemiology, health services, leadership, or professionalism studies.

The FY 2027 Service Area Competition (SAC) funding aims to enhance health services in underserved communities across the U.S. by providing grants for comprehensive preventive and primary care. This initiative allows for a competitive selection of service areas, ensuring that health centers can effectively deliver high-quality healthcare. Additional service areas may be announced throughout the year to accommodate changes in service availability, supporting continuous care for those in need.

The FY26 Peer Reviewed Medical Research Program Clinical Trial Award promotes the swift initiation of impactful clinical trials for diseases outlined in specific topic areas. It offers two application categories: Clinical Trial Only and Clinical Trial with Planning Phase, supporting various funding levels based on trial phases and participant counts. The total funding of approximately $94.5M aims to support up to 9 applications, with a maximum award period of 4 years, ensuring significant advancements in medical research.

Navigant Credit Union 

Navigant Credit Union is the longest-operating, member-owned credit union in Rhode Island. Since its founding in 1915, Navigant Credit Union has been dedicated to providing its members with unparalleled financial products and services, while working every day to stay committed to the financial well-being of the families, businesses and communities we serve. 

Navigant Credit Union Charitable Foundation Grant

For over a century, Navigant Credit Union has been committed to making a meaningful difference in the community. In 2017, we established the Navigant Credit Union Charitable Foundation to further amplify our impact in five strategic areas:

• Education & Financial Literacy: Organizational and capital support for programs, supplies, building products, sports facilities and teams.
• Social Services: Financial support for programs and organizations for children, veterans, hunger and housing.
• Public Health, Safety & Well-Being: Support for programs addressing public safety, emergency care and eradication of disease.

AARP Foundation

AARP Foundation strengthens financial resilience for and with older adults by empowering individuals and improving systems.

AARP empowers people to choose how they live as they age. There are 125 million Americans who are 50 or older, and people want their money, health and happiness to last as long as they do. We are a wise friend and fierce defender, focusing on the priorities of older Americans.

Purpose Prize® from AARP

Honoring extraordinary people 50-plus who put their purpose into action.

Purpose is a powerful force for good. The Purpose Prize from AARP honors extraordinary older Americans who put their purpose into action to support AARP’s mission of empowering people to choose how they live as they age. Winners receive $75,000 and a year of organizational support from AARP to grow the impact of their nonprofits. Examples of organizational support include data and evaluation, governance and succession planning, fundraising strategy, and prospectus development.

The Edith M. Pritchard Scholarship, offered by Nurses Educational Funds Inc., supports nurses pursuing master's or doctoral degrees in nursing education and public health. Applicants must hold a current RN license, maintain a GPA of 3.6, and have at least two semesters of study remaining post-award notification. This scholarship promotes nursing leadership and is funded through donations, reflecting over a century of commitment to nursing education.

CDC Foundation

The CDC Foundation helps the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the public health system save and improve lives by unleashing the power of partnerships to protect the health, safety and security of all communities, everywhere. The CDC Foundation is authorized by Congress to mobilize philanthropic partners, corporations, organizations and individuals to support the critical health protection mission of CDC and the public health system.

The CDC Foundation manages hundreds of programs each year aimed at protecting communities across the country from a variety of health threats—from chronic disease conditions including cardiovascular disease and cancer, to infectious diseases like malaria and HIV to emergency responses, such as Ebola and Zika.

Contractor for Implementation and Evaluation of Healthy Native Babies Project Materials

This RFP request proposals from Tribes, Tribal Serving Organizations (TSOs) and Urban Indian Organizations (UIOs) [T/TSOs/UIOs] to implement and evaluate the updated Healthy Native Babies Project (HNBP) materials within their service areas. This initiative aims to strengthen culturally relevant infant safe sleep education, increase community awareness and support Native families in reducing sleep related infant deaths. Selected T/TSOs/UIOs will adapt, disseminate and assess the use of HNBP materials in ways that reflect the cultural, linguistic and community-specific needs of the Native populations they serve. 

This project is a rapid turnaround project to support T/TSOs/UIOs in:

• Implementing HNBP materials in clinical, community, and family setting
• Training staff and community partners
• Evaluating reach, effectiveness, and community feedback
• Identifying barriers, facilitators, lessons learned, and best practices for future replication

Nurses Educational Funds

Nurses Educational Funds, Inc. depends solely on donations to advance our only mission, to promote nursing leadership through annual scholarship support for professional nurses seeking masters and doctoral degrees in nursing education, practice, research, and administration.

NEF’s only purpose is to provide nursing scholarship assistance to make graduate level nursing education possible. NEF is one of the largest, national, private, professionally endorsed source of funds for advanced nursing study with over one hundred years of service to and for professional nursing. NEF is a non-profit organization with 501(c) status.

Lucy C. Perry Scholarship

Preference for funds from this scholarship is given to applicants studying at Indiana University and interested in public health.

Nurses Educational Funds

Nurses Educational Funds, Inc. depends solely on donations to advance our only mission, to promote nursing leadership through annual scholarship support for professional nurses seeking masters and doctoral degrees in nursing education, practice, research, and administration.

NEF’s only purpose is to provide nursing scholarship assistance to make graduate level nursing education possible. NEF is one of the largest, national, private, professionally endorsed source of funds for advanced nursing study with over one hundred years of service to and for professional nursing. NEF is a non-profit organization with 501(c) status.

Liesel M. Hiemenz Scholarship

This permanent scholarship was established in memory of Ms. Hiemenz, a nurse from Germany. Preference is given to applicants interested in public health.

This funding opportunity aims to bolster the cancer surveillance workforce through educational initiatives. By enhancing collaborations with cancer partners and developing tools for improved data quality, this program will expand the capacity of registrars. Efforts will focus on recruitment and retention, ultimately ensuring compliance with Public Law 102-515. Strengthening the cancer registrar workforce will lead to timely and accurate cancer data submission, supporting public health objectives.

The NIH is announcing a funding opportunity for competitive revisions of ongoing grants to tackle unforeseen public health crises. This Urgent Competitive Revision program aims to facilitate timely responses to emerging health challenges. Once the Notice of Funding Opportunity is published, eligible applications will be directly routed to the appropriate NIH awarding component. Only submissions in response to an Urgent Guide Notice published by an NIH Institute or Center will be accepted.

The CORE Funding: Lilly Research Grant aims to advance research on genetic hearing loss. It invites investigators to explore the genetic factors contributing to hearing loss, promoting innovative projects that enhance understanding in this critical area. Supported by the American Academy of Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery Foundation, the grant fosters significant research efforts to improve outcomes and strategies in otolaryngology, ensuring a comprehensive approach to hearing health.

AAO-HNS Foundation provides Louisiana public health and oncology researchers with funding for basic, translational, or clinical studies in head and neck oncology. Trainees conducting projects on prevention, diagnosis, treatment, outcomes, or pathophysiology of head and neck neoplastic disease may receive up to US $20,000 to support pilot research.

Researchers and institutions conducting thyroid cancer prevention, diagnosis, treatment, or outcomes studies in Louisiana can access funding through the American Academy of Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery Foundation. Grants from this program provide US $10,000 for basic, translational, or clinical otolaryngology-head and neck surgery research, which may benefit public health-focused projects.

Focused on head and neck cancer research, American Academy of Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery Foundation invites Louisiana public health and clinical research organizations to pursue multidisciplinary projects using emerging technologies. Eligible U.S.-based teams can apply for US $15,000 to support translational clinical and epidemiologic studies that improve early detection, prevention, and treatment outcomes.

American Indian and Alaska Native graduate students in public health or environmental science at accredited U.S. institutions, including those from Louisiana, can receive need-based support through the Grace Wall Barreda Memorial Scholarship. With a mission to support Native scholars, Native Forward Scholars Fund provides US $100 - US $30,000 annually based on financial need and Tribal eligibility.

Nonprofits, schools, and government agencies in Louisiana can seek up to US $2,499 for community health programs, including public health, mental health, wellness, and related initiatives. With a mission to strengthen community well-being, Gundersen Lutheran Medical Foundation provides quick-turnaround support grants for projects that improve health, reduce poverty, and enhance neighborhood environments.

NIH provides Louisiana public health organizations and research institutions with support to study integrated care models for chronic pain and opioid use disorder. This U2C-funded BEACON Center initiative backs implementation-effectiveness trials, network coordination, and capacity building to improve scalable, sustainable, evidence-based services, which may benefit health systems and community partners addressing public health challenges.

Public health and biomedical research institutions in Louisiana can seek funding to conduct studies in aerospace medicine, human performance, occupational and environmental health, and epidemiology through the Dept. of the Air Force’s CHEERS opportunity. Focused on operational medicine and readiness, this program may benefit organizations advancing population health and preventive medicine priorities.

Master’s-level students in school-based health education programs at accredited U.S. or territorial colleges, including those from Louisiana, can receive the Barbara A. Cooley Master’s Scholarship to support their studies or personal needs. Society of Health and Physical Educators provides this US $1,000 award plus a one-year complimentary student membership in SHAPE America.

Undergraduate students majoring in school-based health education at accredited colleges or universities in Louisiana and other U.S. locations can access funding through SHAPE America’s Bill Kane Undergraduate Scholarship. This $1,000 award supports future public health and physical education professionals and includes a complimentary one-year student membership in SHAPE America.

Health systems, research institutions, and investigators working on chronic pain and opioid use disorder management in Louisiana and other U.S. jurisdictions can seek future RM1 research funding to improve integrated OUD/pain care. The National Institutes of Health will support studies on collaborative care models, implementation strategies, and scalable, sustainable health system approaches for public health impact.

With a mission to strengthen antibiotic resistance surveillance, the Food and Drug Administration provides Louisiana epidemiology and public health programs with cooperative agreement funding. Eligible organizations may receive up to US $200,000 to enhance NARMS retail food specimen monitoring, improve detection of drug-resistant bacteria, and expand sampling sites across covered U.S. jurisdictions.

Hospitals, health institutions, and healthcare nonprofits working on medical research, public health, or hospital care in Louisiana may be eligible for grants supporting capital improvements, equipment, rare drugs, or direct care projects. Grants from E S Prentiss Foundation help organizations focused on improving healthcare access, management, and services, with a preference for private-sector providers and multi-year, project-specific support.

Public interest lawyers providing free civil legal aid on opioid use disorder in underserved communities, including Louisiana, can apply for Equal Justice Works’ two-year Opioid Crisis Response Program Fellowship. Fellows receive a salary while building capacity at host legal services organizations and delivering education and direct civil legal services that address public health impacts of the opioid crisis.

State and local governments, federally recognized Tribes, and nonprofits in rural colonias communities can seek USDA: Rural Development support to build safe drinking water, wastewater, and storm-water systems. With a mission to improve rural health, USDA: Rural Development provides Louisiana public health entities with loans and grants that address serious health risks from inadequate water and waste services.