The University of Kentucky hopes to leverage a nearly $34 million federal grant to increase research and launch a pilot program aimed at more efficiently curing Hepatitis C.
The funding is from the National Institutes of Health and was awarded Wednesday to UK’s Center for Clinical and Translational Science.
It will facilitate the new program, called Hepatitis C Elimination through Accessible Treatment, to remove barriers, according to Hannah Knudsen, director of the Center for Implementation, Dissemination and Evidence-Based Research.
“Traditionally, the processes involve blood draws and laboratory testing, additional appointments and referrals, and each additional step in that process is a challenge to receiving treatment,” Knudsen said at a press conference in the lobby of the Lee T. Todd Jr. Building on UK’s campus Wednesday. “So, with HEAT, we're asking a straightforward question: ‘What if we remove as many of those barriers as possible, and bring a same-day test and treat option to people where they already are?’”
According to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Kentucky had 5.9 cases of Hepatitis C per 10,000 people in 2023. The illness is a viral liver disease spread through contact with blood. It can cause fever, nausea and jaundice, among other symptoms.
UK’s announcement comes as federal grants for research have shrunk in recent years. Under President Donald Trump, more than $170 billion in federal grants have been cut or frozen, according to research conducted by States United and Grant Witness. Of that, $59.9 billion have been health-related grants.
Grant Witness, a nonprofit watchdog group that tracks federal funding, found there’s been a 13% decrease in NIH grants awarded this year. Trump previously sought to shave 41% of the agency's budget, and an August 2025 analysis found $12 billion in NIH research funding had been axed by the administration.
UK’s new HEAT program will work with health departments in Breathitt, Knott, Lee and Owsley counties to bring the “same-day test and treat model” to patients.
“The project is designed to produce approaches and resources that can help other communities implement this model and potentially inform work addressing other health challenges in under-resourced settings,” Knudsen said. “Ultimately, that's our goal at the CCTS: not simply to generate evidence, but to make sure evidence can be put into practice in ways that tangibly and measurably improve people's lives.”
This program is still in the early stages, and it will be months before it formally launches, Knudsen said.
The NIH award will also fund other research efforts, including community health worker training, new researchers and data science networks. Officials hope the $34 million will act as seed money to attract more investment.
UK President Eli Capilouto said the NIH grant strengthens the university’s ability to serve all the counties in the commonwealth.
“For two decades now, our Center for Clinical and Translational Science has helped us fulfill our responsibility to our state,” Capilouto said. “It connects researchers across disciplines and supports the next generation of scientists while helping move promising discoveries toward meaningful impact.”
