Southern Illinois University Edwardsville has been awarded a $349,920 Department of Health and Human Services grant for its nurse training program, U.S. Rep. John Shimkus (R-Collinsville) has announced.

"While this is a new grant award, the SIUE program has received this funding since at least 2009," Shimkus said. "I am pleased that SIUE is successful in earning these competitive funds to continue nurse-training programs at a time when the there are still unmet needs in various medical professions and in nurse faculty."

The grant is part of the Department of Health and Human Services' Health Resources and Services Administration Advanced Education Nursing Traineeship program.

The program is designed to increase the number of advanced education nurses trained to practice as primary care providers or nursing faculty to address the national nursing shortage.The funding grant provides assistance towards tuition, fees, books, and housing.

This grant continues program funding for the period July 1, 2012, through June 30, 2013.