Howard University College of Medicine Secures $1M Grant

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has awarded Howard University College of Medicine a $1 million grant to support a multiyear initiative aimed at tackling the problem of disparities in the health care workforce.

The grant supports Howard’s longstanding role in educating physicians and advancing health equity by investing across the full academic pipeline. Funding will expand programs such as the College of Medicine’s Mini-Med School, STEM outreach initiatives, and the Summer Health Professions Education Program, while also supporting medical student retention and support medical students interested in research and faculty productivity and leadership development.

Howard University has consistently graduated more Black medical students than nearly any other U.S. medical school and maintains a historic legacy of training doctors who serve underserved communities.

The initiative aligns with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s national strategy to strengthen the health care workforce by investing in institutions that serve communities historically excluded from medical education and leadership.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is the nation’s largest philanthropy dedicated to health. It works to improve health and advance equity through research, policy, and strategic investments, with a focus on communities most affected by structural barriers to health.

For more than 150 years, Howard University College of Medicine has played a central role in training African American physicians and advancing equitable health care. Although historically Black colleges and universities represent a small fraction of U.S. medical schools, they educate a disproportionate share of Black physicians and faculty.