Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students (SDS)

Purpose: The Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students (SDS) program increases the health professions and nursing workforce by providing awards to eligible health professions schools for use in awarding scholarships to students from disadvantaged backgrounds who have a financial need.

• Strengthen the health professions and nursing workforce by supporting students from disadvantaged backgrounds who are more likely to practice in primary care and in medically vulnerable communities.

Background: The SDS program aims to support students from disadvantaged backgrounds to increase their access to a health professions degree. Since 2012, 15,054 students successfully graduated with a degree in a health profession after receiving SDS scholarships. In academic years 2024 to 2025, of those graduates with follow-up data, 45 percent worked or trained in medically vulnerable communities one year after graduation and 27 percent in primary care settings[i]. SDS scholarships help reduce financial obstacles for students from disadvantaged backgrounds, which allows them to practice in rural and vulnerable communities.

Please review the detailed requirements for the program, the scholarship and the student under Program Description in the funding announcement.

Application Instructions

Please submit as one combined pdf labeled with PI’s Lastname, Firstname:

1. A one‐page letter of intent with a description of proposed aims and approach.
2. If the final application requires a statement of broader impacts, please summarize your plans to address the specific requirements on an additional page.
3. CV (not biosketch) of the PI including past grant funding.

to limitedsubs@uw.edu by 5:00 PM Monday, July 20, 2026. Late pre-proposals will not be considered. Proposals are due to the sponsor 7/28/2026 so you will need to have your materials in to the Office of Sponsored Programs by 7/23/2026 if given the go‐ahead by the Limited Submissions review committee.