Mini-Grant RFP CoverThe East Central Indiana Area Health Education Center (ECI-AHEC) is releasing a Request for Proposals (RFP) to solicit applications from federally tax-exempt organizations working to further the mission and goals of ECI-AHEC. The proposed projects must benefit residents in at least one or more of the following counties in Northeast Indiana: Adams, Allen, Blackford, DeKalb, Delaware, Elkhart, Grant, Huntington, Jay, Kosciusko, LaGrange, Noble, Randolph, Steuben, Wabash, Wells, and/or Whitley Counties.

Background: The mission of the East Central Indiana Area Health Education Center (ECI-AHEC) is to inspire, train, recruit, and retain a diverse and broad range of health professionals to practice in rural and medically-underserved communities, where the need is greatest. ECI-AHEC will work in collaboration with community organizations to provide service to high school and college students, as well as health professionals in training, in order to address community health concerns, encourage interest in health careers and continued education, and to provide increased rural health employment opportunities for students from rural communities. ECI-AHEC accomplishes our mission by providing a broad range of programs and activities including health career awareness presentations and camps, coordination of job shadowing, clinical rotations and rural health experiences.

The RFP for programs that will occur during project period February 1, 2023 to May 12, 2023 is available for Download (PDF). The deadline to submit a proposal is 5 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on December 12, 2022 . Deadlines that fall on a holiday or weekend still apply.

All mini-grant funds will be awarded in a lump sum upon successful completion of the project and all reporting requirements.   

The ECI-AHEC is operated by the Ball State University College of Health. ECI-AHEC is part of a national network with a mission to improve health by leading the nation in the recruitment, training, and retention of a diverse health workforce for rural and medically underserved communities.   

Please contact Justin Tobyas if you have questions about 2023 Mini-Grant Proposals.  

Goals of ECI-AHEC: 

  • Recruit middle and high school students from underrepresented, disadvantaged, or rural backgrounds into the health professions and support students in attaining such careers
  • Prepare health professions students in training to more effectively provide health services to underserved areas through job shadowing, field placements, or community-based preceptorships
  • Conduct and promote interdisciplinary/interprofessional training involving an array of health professionals to assure quality team-based patient care
  • Deliver or facilitate continuing education and information dissemination for health care professionals
  • Establish a youth public health program to expose and recruit high school students into public health careers
  • Coordinate community-based participatory research to improve quality, efficiency, and effectiveness of health care and health care systems within community settings