On Apr. 29, 2021, the National Institutes of Health announced it was funding $29 million in additional grants for the NIH Community Engagement Alliance (CEAL) Against COVID-19 Disparities.

The awards provided $15 million to 11 teams already conducting research and outreach to help strengthen COVID-19 vaccine confidence and access, as well as testing and treatment, in communities of color. An additional $14 million will fund 10 new research teams to extend the reach of COVID-19 community-engaged research and outreach.