Jackson State awarded $14.5M grant to extend heart health research

The funding will train more graduate students to tackle cardiovascular disease and related conditions that disproportionately affect Black communities.

Published on Feb. 21, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

Jackson State University has secured a 10-year, $14.5 million NIH contract to keep its Jackson Heart Study Graduate Training and Education Center running, strengthening major health research based in the Jackson metro area. The funding will train more graduate students to tackle cardiovascular disease and related conditions that disproportionately affect Black communities, while reinforcing Jackson State's role in national health disparities research.

Why it matters

The Jackson Heart Study is a landmark research project focused on understanding and addressing the high rates of heart disease and related conditions among African Americans in the region. This new grant will allow the program to continue its critical work in training the next generation of researchers and clinicians to address these persistent health disparities.

The details

The $14.5 million NIH contract will fund Jackson State University's Jackson Heart Study Graduate Training and Education Center for the next 10 years. The center plays a key role in the broader Jackson Heart Study, a long-running research initiative that has been examining cardiovascular health in the local African American population since the 1990s. This new funding will enable the university to continue recruiting and training graduate students to join the effort to understand and address the disproportionate burden of heart disease, stroke, and related conditions experienced by Black communities in the Jackson metro area.

  • Jackson State University has secured the 10-year, $14.5 million NIH contract.

The players

Jackson State University

A public historically Black university located in Jackson, Mississippi that has played a central role in the Jackson Heart Study research initiative.

Jackson Heart Study

A landmark research project focused on understanding and addressing the high rates of heart disease and related conditions among African Americans in the Jackson, Mississippi region.

National Institutes of Health (NIH)

The primary agency of the United States government responsible for biomedical and public health research, providing the $14.5 million grant to Jackson State University.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

The takeaway

This new grant reinforces Jackson State University's central role in addressing persistent health disparities in the local African American community through the important work of the Jackson Heart Study. By training the next generation of researchers and clinicians, the university is poised to make a significant impact in reducing the disproportionate burden of cardiovascular disease in this population.