UL Lafayette announces rural-health grants and a geosciences award

UL Lafayette announced rural-health funding and an international geosciences competition result in September, recognizing work in two different parts of the university.

Nearly $2.1 million for rural health

In its September 9 announcement, UL said the Louisiana Department of Health awarded nearly $1.6 million to the College of Nursing & Health Sciences and $498,723 to the Center for Applied Artificial Intelligence. Both grants support the state’s Rural Health Transformation Program.

According to the university, the nursing funding will support academic programs, faculty and student services, clinical partnerships with rural facilities and workforce development. The college aims to increase enrollment and retention in its prelicensure program and prepare more registered nurses for rural communities.

The AI center is developing a geographic information system to help rural clinics assemble information about unmet needs, workforce shortages and barriers to care. UL describes a planned tool that brings scattered data together to help clinics decide where services are needed and identify potential funding. The announcement concerns program support and a system under development; it does not report a new clinic opening or additional nurses already in practice.

Second place for geosciences students

UL reported September 14 that five master’s students placed second in the 2026 Imperial Barrel Award competition in Houston. The team qualified by winning the North America competition in April and earned $6,000 across the regional and international events, according to the university.

The American Association of Petroleum Geologists’ competition asks students to assess a prospective oil reservoir using geological and geophysical evidence. UL’s team studied an onshore area in the Netherlands, analyzing land, infrastructure and subsurface information beginning in January to weigh resource potential and risk.

The university describes the exercise as preparation for industry decisions. The result recognizes student analysis, rather than a Louisiana discovery or an approved drilling project. UL’s announcement also lists first-place finishes in 2012, 2014 and 2018.