Best Grants for Public Health in Indiana

Indiana medical students at schools with active Alpha Omega Alpha chapters can receive US $7,000 for 2–12 month research in clinical investigation, basic science, epidemiology, health services, leadership, or professionalism. Public health–focused projects may be eligible, with additional travel reimbursement to present results at a national conference.

The HEAL Initiative aims to combat the opioid crisis through action-oriented research that enhances the translation of addiction epidemiology, prevention, treatment, and recovery services into practice. It prioritizes scalable, evidence-based approaches targeting various levels, including individual and community. The initiative supports a range of methods for research deployment, emphasizing collaboration between researchers and decision-makers to improve outcomes for those affected by addiction and related chronic pain.

The FY26 Peer Reviewed Medical Research Program's Platform Clinical Translation Award facilitates early-phase clinical trials for innovative healthcare technologies, catering to the needs of military Service Members, Veterans, and their Families. The program allows collaborations among multiple Principal Investigators and mandates an external advisory board with patient advocate involvement. Approximately $30M is allocated to fund two applications, each capped at $15M, over a maximum period of four years, with funding contingent on performance milestones.

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.

Public health and epidemiology organizations with existing NIH grants that need to address unforeseen public health crises in Indiana can seek competitive revision funding for urgent work. The National Institutes of Health offers these urgent supplements only to current awardees responding to an eligible Urgent Guide Notice tied to their parent award.

Researchers and research institutions studying the genetics of hearing loss can apply for funding to advance otolaryngology and related public health knowledge in Indiana and nationwide. Grants from American Academy of Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery Foundation provide up to US $10,000 for projects connected to otorhinolaryngology, cancer/oncology, or epidemiology and public health.

Indiana medical trainees conducting basic, translational, or clinical research in head and neck oncology can access funding through the American Academy of Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery Foundation. This U.S. program offers up to US $20,000 for projects on prevention, diagnosis, treatment, outcomes, or pathophysiology of head and neck neoplastic disease, which may benefit public health initiatives.

Public health and medical research institutions in Indiana can seek funding for basic, translational, or clinical projects focused on thyroid cancer prevention, diagnosis, treatment, outcomes, or pathophysiology. Grants from American Academy of Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery Foundation provide US $10,000 to support otolaryngology-head and neck surgery research with a strong thyroid cancer emphasis.

Indiana research institutions and clinical teams working in public health, epidemiology, or oncology can seek funding to integrate emerging technologies into translational head and neck cancer research. Focused on tools like multi-omics, AI-enabled pathology, and advanced imaging, the American Academy of Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery Foundation offers US $15,000 awards through the CORE AHNS Presidential Award program.

American Indian and Alaska Native graduate students in public health or environmental science at accredited U.S. institutions can receive need-based support, with awards ranging from US $100 - US $30,000 per year. With a mission to support Indigenous scholars, Native Forward Scholars Fund provides funding that may benefit Indiana students pursuing epidemiology and public health degrees.

Nonprofits, schools, and government agencies working on public health, wellness, and community well-being can apply for up to US $2,499 to support programs and activities. With a mission to strengthen community health, Gundersen Lutheran Medical Foundation provides small, quick-turnaround grants nationwide, which may benefit Indiana organizations addressing physical, mental, and social health needs.

NIH provides Indiana public health and healthcare research organizations with funding to study integrated management of chronic pain and opioid use disorder across health systems. This U2C center grant supports implementation-effectiveness trials, network coordination, capacity building, and development of resources to scale and sustain evidence-based CP and OUD care, with eligibility across the U.S. and territories.

Focused on aerospace and operational medicine research, this federal opportunity invites Indiana public health and biomedical research organizations to submit white papers for the CHEERS program. Eligible institutions working in areas like epidemiology, public health, occupational and environmental health, or human physiology may be considered for further technical and cost proposal requests from the Department of the Air Force.

Master’s students in school-based health education programs at accredited colleges or universities in Indiana and other U.S. locations can receive funding for their studies through the Barbara A. Cooley Master’s Scholarship. Society of Health and Physical Educators provides a US $1,000 award plus a one-year student membership in SHAPE America.

Indiana undergraduate public health and school-based health education majors at accredited colleges can access funding through the Society of Health and Physical Educators’ Bill Kane Undergraduate Scholarship. This annual US $1,000 award supports full-time sophomores, juniors, or seniors with at least a 3.25 GPA in the U.S. or its territories, including Indiana.

NIH provides Indiana public health and research organizations with funding to study integrated health system approaches for co-occurring chronic pain and opioid use disorder. This HEAL IMPOWR opportunity supports collaborative care models, implementation strategies, and innovative delivery of sustainable, scalable CP/OUD services, and may benefit Indiana institutions focused on public health and addiction treatment research.

Public health and epidemiology organizations in Indiana and other eligible U.S. jurisdictions can seek funding to strengthen antibiotic resistance surveillance in retail food specimens. With a mission to protect and promote public health, FDA provides support to enhance NARMS sampling, improve detection of drug-resistant bacteria in food, and expand surveillance sites; awards up to US $200,000.

Hospitals and health institutions focused on medical care and public health can seek support for research, direct care projects, and improved health care access through the E S Prentiss Foundation. Grants may benefit Indiana organizations working on epidemiology, public health initiatives, hospital management, capital improvements, equipment, or rare and expensive drugs, with commitments up to five years.

Public interest legal service organizations addressing opioid use disorder and public health in Indiana can apply for Equal Justice Works’ Opioid Crisis Response Program Fellowship to host an Attorney Fellow. Fellows provide free civil legal aid, reduce legal barriers to treatment and recovery, and build organizational capacity in underserved OUD-affected communities nationwide.

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.