Researchers at the GW Health Workforce Institute earned a $5.5 million grant for a five-year project on health care equity.

The grant, which Atlantic Philanthropies awarded to the institute, was announced in a release Wednesday. The project will focus on making sure communities of different economic statuses, especially those in the D.C. area, are receiving equal levels of health care.

The institute launched last September, pulling faculty from six different schools to examine how to make the health care field function better for both professionals and patients. At the time of launch, officials said that the institute would seek funding through grants from organizations like the MacArthur and Bill & Melinda Gates foundations.

Fitzhugh Mullan, the co-director of the institute, said in the release that the grant will help the institute reach new heights in addressing inequality in health care.

“We live in a world of health disparities,” Mullan said. “This Atlantic Philanthropies-sponsored initiative will enable GW to pioneer a new and expanded set of programs focused on the reduction of health workforce disparities.”

The grant will fund a number of initiatives, including funding 75 global leaders for a one-year fellowship on health workforce equity and providing mentorship for local students pursuing health care careers, according to the release.

Christopher Oechsli, the president and CEO of Atlantic Philanthropies, said in the release that his group has “long been dedicated” to improving access to health care and improving that access for disadvantaged communities.

“This grant exemplifies Atlantic’s fundamental strategies and initiatives to advance health equity in the United States and globally,” he said.