Next Generation Public Health Pathways Grant (Minnesota)

The Next Generation Public Health Pathways Grant supports projects that connect diverse talent to governmental public health careers.

Donor Name: Minnesota Department of Health (MDH)

State: Minnesota

County: All Counties

Type of Grant: Grant

Deadline: 05/12/2025

Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000

Grant Duration: 2 Years

Details:

The goal of the funding is to build an inclusive and dynamic public health workforce by creating non-traditional entry points into the field, reaching across age groups, educational backgrounds, and professional experiences to tap into Minnesota’s full talent pool.

Priority will be given to programs that feature experiential learning opportunities, like public health challenge competitions, community health action projects, and innovative programming, possibly not yet practiced that allow participants to tackle real-world health challenges while building professional networks. Priority will also be given to programs who will engage participants with diverse backgrounds, particularly those underrepresented in the current public health workforce.

The grant aims to:

Increase interest in governmental public health careers among youth (7th-12th grade), college students and early/mid-career professionals from diverse backgrounds
Build strategic skills needed for current and future public health challenges
Create sustainable programs and partnerships to facilitate ongoing career exploration and workforce development.

Program Priorities

Priority will be given to programs that:

Feature experiential learning opportunities
Go beyond traditional internship models
Engage participants from underrepresented backgrounds
Build strategic public health skills
Create sustainable partnerships.

Funding Information

Grants will range from $20,000 to $75,000 per project.

Grant Period

July 1, 2025– June 30, 2026, July 1 2026-March 31, 2027.

Eligible Projects

To be considered for funding, proposed projects must:

Advance the competitive priorities of the Next Generation Public Health Pathways grant, which may include:
- Engaging communities in initiatives that transform public health practice across domains such as policy, administration, evaluation, research, and systems change
- Creating innovative learning experiences that may span policy, administration, evaluation, research, and systems change
- Exposing participants to diverse career paths within governmental public health, including lesser-known roles in planning, evaluation, health promotion, communication, etc.
- Engaging participants without formal public health training and demonstrating the transferability of their skills to public health careers
- Building sustainable programs and partnerships
Engage one or more of the following target audiences through tailored programming:
- Middle and/or High School Students: Inspire students from all backgrounds to explore public health careers through interactive educational experiences, design challenges, participatory research, or other hands-on learning approaches that highlight the range of skills needed in the field
- Post-Secondary Students: Engage post-secondary students (certificate, associates, undergraduate and or graduate studies) across all majors and disciplines in dynamic public health experiences such as hack-a-thons, case competitions, consulting projects, or storytelling initiatives that emphasize the interdisciplinary nature of the field
- Adults in the Workforce: Connect the skills of professionals from diverse sectors to public health challenges through innovative opportunities like interdisciplinary projects, career pathway workshops, or trainings that showcase viable transitions to governmental public health roles
Feature creative strategies that spark curiosity and commitment to the public good, provide value to both participants and public health partners, and demonstrate the meaningful career opportunities available within governmental public health
Competitive proposals will feature creative strategies that activate participants’ passion, curiosity, and commitment to promoting health, preventing disease, and protecting community wellbeing through public health careers, with a primary focus on governmental roles. Applicants should think beyond standard internship or mentoring models and design innovative engagement techniques that provide value to both participants and public health partners. Proposals must articulate how their approach exposes participants to the meaningful impact of governmental public health work while also acknowledging the interconnected nature of the broader public health system, ultimately inspiring them to pursue careers prioritizing governmental public health opportunities
Competitive proposals will demonstrate a clear understanding of their target audience(s) and include tailored strategies to engage and serve them effectively. Applicants should justify their audience selection and articulate how their approach is designed to spark interest in public health, build relevant skills, and create viable pathways to governmental public health employment for their participants.