To be eligible for the ACTION Program, students must be:

• A native of one of the 54 Appalachian Kentucky counties;
• Enrolled in a high school within Appalachian Kentucky as a rising freshman, sophomore, or junior or be a rising University of Kentucky freshman, sophomore, or junior; and
• A member of an underrepresented group in the research workforce as defined by the NIH, including:
  1. Underrepresented minorities (Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, American Indian or Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, and other Pacific Islander);
  2. Individuals with disabilities, defined as those with a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more life activities; and/or
  3. Individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds including those who were or are homeless, were or are in the foster care system, were or are eligible for Federal Free and Reduced Lunch Program, have no parent/legal guardian who completed a bachelor’s degree, were or are eligible for Federal Pell grants, received support from the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, or grew up in a rural or low-income and health professional shortage area.

View the map below to see which counties are eligible for prospective ACTION Program students.