DSHS to award $10 million in grants to support local vaccination efforts across Texas

The Texas Department of State Health Services will award $10 million to local organizations working to promote COVID-19 vaccinations in Texas. The Texas Vaccine Outreach and Education Grant program will provide grants of $50,000 to $150,000 to a wide range of groups engaged in vaccine education with the goal of increasing the number of fully vaccinated Texans and slowing the spread of COVID-19 in the state.

DSHS encourages educational agencies, faith-based organizations, government entities, community coalitions, associations, and nonprofit groups to apply for federal funds. They will be awarded for projects lasting from six to nine months.

“Community-based organizations have played a critical role in ensuring people across Texas have access to COVID-19 vaccines, and they have innovative ideas about how to engage the communities they work with,” said Imelda Garcia, DSHS associate commissioner for laboratory and infectious disease services. “These grants will give them the resources to expand their efforts to serve hard-to-reach communities that have been seriously affected by the pandemic.”

DSHS is partnering with Texas A&M University Health Science Center to administer the Texas Vaccine Outreach and Education Grant program.

Texas organizations can submit proposals beginning today with award notifications expected to begin around the end of August.

Priority will be given to applicants that focus on reaching rural communities, communities of color, and Texans with disabilities. To learn more about the program, eligibility, and how to apply, please visit https://health.tamu.edu/vaccinegrant.html.