The Southern Plains Tribal Health Board’s THESIS program is funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s John R. Lewis Undergraduate Public Health Scholars Program (Lewis Scholars Program).

The Lewis Scholars Program, formerly known as the CDC Undergraduate Public Health Scholars (CUPS) program, is supported by the CDC’s Office of Minority Health and Health Equity (OMHHE), which also supports the Dr. James A. Ferguson Emerging Infectious Diseases program. These programs provide internship and fellowship opportunities for qualified undergraduate and graduate students to gain meaningful experiences in public health settings.