Who should apply?

Applicants should be enrolled in a post-graduate degree that will further their interest and career path in community and public health. Recipients will gain a better understanding of the community and public health landscape in the North Texas region through an in-depth experience with Texas Health Community Hope.

An applicant must meet the following requirements to be eligible for the 2026 Gunnin Fellowship:

• Enrolled full time in a master’s or doctoral public health program at an accredited school of public health at an accredited college or university in the state of Texas.
• Enrolled in graduate courses for the fall term of 2026.
• Have a minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. Other achievements will also be considered, including community and extracurricular involvement, demonstration of leadership, internships and past employment.
• Ability to work on-site at Texas Health for a 400-hour internship. While the timeframe is flexible and based on the recipient’s school schedule, most students complete the internship in the summer. The Fellowship must be completed before a recipient *graduates from a post-graduate program. During the Fellowship, recipients must reside in (even if temporarily) and be able to travel within the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Recipients must make and pay for their own living and transportation arrangements during their Fellowship.

  *Note: Texas Health must pay scholarship funds directly to a student’s university. Therefore, a second-year master’s degree student graduating prior to the start of the 2026 Fellowship may be eligible for participation if the student can show intent to pursue a Ph.D. in Public Health at the time of application. If selected, students completing a master’s degree program in May 2026 and interning with Texas Health in Summer 2026 must show proof of acceptance to an accredited public health Ph.D. program at an accredited Texas university for the Fall 2026 semester and scholarship funds will be paid to that university upon Fellowship completion.

• Have proof of identification and eligibility to work in the United States.
• Complete a Texas Health employment application prior to starting the Fellowship and pass a criminal background check, a drug screening and an employee physical examination. Texas Health is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, sex, age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, status as a veteran and basis of disability or any other federal, state or local protected class.

Gunnin 2026 application and selection timeline:

• Sept. 30 – Nov. 14: Application period
• Nov. 14: Application due
• January 2026: Applicants notified of outcome. Finalists will be scheduled for an in-person panel interview scheduled for January/February 2026.
• January/February 2026: In-person finalist panel interviews conducted at Texas Health Resources (exact date and location TBA)
• February 2026: Finalists will be contacted about interview outcome (exact date TBA)

Questions? Contact Jamie Yeatts, Gunnin Fellowship program specialist, at Gunnin@TexasHealth.org.