A $17M NIH award boosts health disparities research at N.C. A&T
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<a href="https://www.wfdd.org/people/david-ford” rel=”nofollow noopener” target=”_blank”>David Ford
Published August 12, 2026 at 4:36 PM EDT
Courtesy North Carolina A&T State University
The National Institutes of Health has awarded North Carolina A&T State University a nearly $17 million grant. The money will fund research to address health disparities in central North Carolina.
It’s the largest NIH award ever received by A&T’s Hairston College of Health and Human Sciences. Officials say it’s a game-changer for the college’s health disparities research. The new center will help the school partner with local organizations working to improve chronic and infectious disease outcomes for people in underserved communities
Executive Director of the Center of Excellence for Integrative Health Disparities & Equity Research Angelo Moore says the money will allow him and his colleagues to expand their ongoing clinical trials for a host of diseases, including dementia, hypertension, and diabetes
“We want to educate populations about these particular diseases, and some of our projects are going to be designed to do that,” says Moore. “We also want to have early detection. So, how do we find out very early on that people may be at risk for these particular diseases, and how can we prevent them?”
Hairston College of Health and Human Sciences Dean Elimelda Moige Ongeri says the grant will bring together faculty from the hard sciences, the College of Business and more.
“Because when you think about health education and the impact of social determinants of health, you have to have a comprehensive approach,” says Ongeri. “So I’m excited because it allows us to bring faculty from across the university who have expertise to tackle different aspects of health sciences research.”
Ongeri says the grant will also support A&T researchers from the departments of kinesiology, psychology, and nanoengineering.
