Read this in your browser July 9, 2026What's NewOrientation to the Appalachian Region Healthcare Technical Assistance Center – Thursday, July 9 at 2:00 pm Eastern. This FORHP-funded program provides cost-free, comprehensive technical assistance to improve quality of care for HRSA-designated rural providers located within the counties served by the Appalachian Regional Commission. Service improvement areas include finances, operations, quality, service line expansion, and strategic planning. Applications are accepted through September 4 for the next cohort being selected in Fall 2026. Rural Residency Planning and Development (RRPD): Recruiting Residents into a New Residency Program – Tuesday, July 14 at 12:00 pm Eastern. Our FORHP-funded technical assistance partners at RuralGME.org hold a monthly series on graduate medical education (GME) topics. While these webinars are produced to support FORHP’s RRPD grantees in developing their residency programs, they are open to anyone with an interest in learning more about rural GME. Rural Hospital Financial Performance: Tools for Data-Driven Decision Making – Tuesday, July 21 at 1:00 pm Eastern. Experts from the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) at the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services and the North Carolina Rural Health Research Center will introduce two new, data-driven tools that provide valuable insights into the financial health of rural hospitals. These include ASPE’s Rural Hospital Financial Performance Dashboard launched in May. Learn how these complementary resources can support planning, policy, research, and decision-making.
Previously Announced FORHP FundingRural Northern Border Region Network Planning Program (RNBR-NP) – Apply by July 10. The RNBR-NP is a new program that provides one-year funding to build new, or strengthen existing health care networks, in the Northern Border Region. Delta Rural Integrated Health Network Program – Apply by July 17. The Delta Rural Integrated Health Network Program seeks to improve healthcare delivery in the region by supporting the development of integrated health networks among rural hospitals, primary care clinics, behavioral health providers, and other essential healthcare organizations in the Delta region. Rural Health Network Advancement Program (RHNAP) – Apply by July 24. The RHNAP is a new program that supports existing Rural Health Networks expand and evolve their work to meet the growing needs of their rural member hospitals and clinics. Rural Hospital Provider Assistance (RHPA) Program – Apply by July 27. The RHPA Program provides direct financial assistance to eligible rural hospitals (does not include Critical Access Hospitals) facing structural payment disadvantages with the goal of maintaining essential health care services and preventing avoidable closures. Eligibility for this program is based on methodology outlined in a Federal Register Notice. Small Health Care Provider Quality Improvement Program – August 6. Small rural healthcare facilities improve quality improvement culture by building capacity to effectively collect and use clinical data while implementing evidence-based approaches to improve health care quality with a particular focus on improving chronic disease outcomes. You can view a recording of the technical assistance webinar.
Funding and OpportunitiesHRSA Faculty Loan Repayment Program – Deadline Extended to July 21. Administered by HRSA’s Bureau of Health Workforce, this program provides up to $40,000 to help health professions faculty pay down their student loan debt. In return, these faculty members serve for two years as full or part-time faculty members at an eligible health professions school. The original deadline of July 9 has been extended to Tuesday, July 21. SAMHSA Emergency Department Alternatives to Opioids – July 27. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) provides funding to expand the use of non-opioid pain management protocols for patients presenting with pain in emergency care settings. The program supports early identification of opioid use disorder (OUD) and timely intervention and referral to OUD care. Rural Emergency Hospitals are listed as eligible applicants. SAMHSA First Responders – Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act Grants – July 27. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) invests this funding to train first responders and communities in administering and distributing opioid overdose reversal medications. Funding is set aside for recipients serving rural and tribal communities. SAMHSA will hold a pre-application webinar TODAY, July 9, at 3:30 pm Eastern. SAMHSA Garrett Lee Smith (GLS) Campus Suicide Prevention Grant Program – July 27. Funding from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) aims to identify college students who are at risk for suicide and suicide attempts, increase protective factors that promote mental health, reduce risk factors for substance use disorders and suicide, and ultimately reduce suicides and suicide attempts. SAMHSA Mental Health Awareness Training Grants – July 27. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) provides grants to prepare and train school personnel, emergency first responders, law enforcement, and community-based agency staff on how to recognize and respond to individuals with mental disorders. Rural applicants have been awarded grants in the past, and up to 3 awards will be made to tribes/tribal organizations pending sufficient application volume. SAMHSA Promoting the Integration of Primary and Behavioral Health Care: States – July 27. This funding from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) aims to improve the health outcomes for people with behavioral health conditions by supporting the adoption and improvement of integrated care models for behavioral and primary physical health at the state level. Tribal, rural, and other medically underserved communities are a program priority. Program eligibility is limited to states and state agencies; however, states must partner at least 1 qualified community program, community mental health center, Rural Health Clinic, or Federally Qualified Health Center. HRSA Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students – July 28. This funding administered by HRSA’s Bureau of Health Workforce is designed to strengthen the health professions and nursing workforce by supporting students from disadvantaged backgrounds who are more likely to practice in primary care and in rural and medically vulnerable communities. Awards will go to eligible health professions schools to give scholarships to students with a financial need. ARC Appalachia READY Local Governments Training – July 31. The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) provides training to help local government officials in the Appalachian region better identify, secure, manage, and implement federally funded economic development projects. ACL Dementia Capable Community Health Worker Programs – August 3. As part of its Alzheimer’s Disease Programs Initiative, the Administration for Community Living (ACL) seeks to enhance dementia-capable workforce capacity with Community Health Workers. See the Approaching Deadlines section below for two related funding opportunities with applications due on July 22. USDA Native Community Development Financial Institution Relending Demonstration Program – August 14. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) provides loans for Native Community Development Financial Institutions to use for relending to increase homeownership opportunities for Native American tribes, Alaska Native communities, and Native Hawaiian communities in rural areas. USDA America’s Healthy Food Financing Initiative – September 30. Rural Development at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) provides funding for loans and technical assistance to strengthen, expand, and innovate food retail. The funding is administered through the Reinvestment Fund, a federally certified Community Development Financial Institution that pools capital from private and public investors to revitalize underserved communities.
Policy UpdatesSend questions to ruralpolicy@hrsa.gov. No updates this week.
Resources of the WeekPractical Guide to Supporting Innovation in Rural Health. Recently, the Rural Health Information Hub (RHIhub), in collaboration with the NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis, released a new guide that explores how rural communities can build on their local expertise, strong partnerships, and existing assets to create innovative solutions that address their unique healthcare challenges. It’s the latest addition to RHIhub’s library of evidence-based toolkits and guides. Local Facilitators Lead the Way in Stigma Reduction This resource describes community-led on opioid use in rural communities, through conversation, workshops, and other resources for addressing substance use disorder. The University of Rochester Recovery Center of Excellence is one of three such centers funded through FORHP’s Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP). RCORP-TA Podcast: Award-Winning Transportation is Medicine Episode Rural transportation poses a lot of challenges and obstacles, but also some unique opportunities. Theresa Lemus (Technical Expert Lead for RCORP-TA) joins the podcast as a guest host to talk "Transportation Is Medicine" with RCORP grantees, Valerie Lefler, Executive Director and Founder of Feonix - Mobility Rising, and Amy Pina, Clinical Director, Coastal Plains Integrated Health.
Approaching DeadlinesHRSA Faculty Loan Repayment Program – July 9 HRSA Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Leadership, Education, and Advancement in Undergraduate Pathways (LEAP) Training Program – July 10 HRSA Nurse Faculty Loan Program – July 10 HRSA Pediatric Mental Health Care Access Program – July 10 HRSA Rural Northern Border Region Network Planning Program – July 10 IHS Epidemiology Program for American Indian/Alaska Native Tribes and Urban Indian Communities – July 13 SAMHSA Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment Program – July 13 SAMHSA Tribal Behavioral Health Substance Use Prevention – July 13 AHA Circle of Life Award: Celebrating Innovation in Palliative and End-of-Life Care – July 15 CMS Seeks Public Feedback on Essential Health Benefits – Comment by July 15 HHS Center for Indigenous Innovation and Health – July 15 SAMHSA Behavioral Health Mobile Crisis Team Partnerships – July 15 SAMHSA Circles of Care for American Indian/Alaska Natives (AI/AN) – July 15 SAMHSA Strategic Prevention Framework - Partnerships for Success for Communities and Tribes – July 15 SAMHSA Building Communities of Recovery – July 16 SAMHSA Rural Emergency Medical Services Training – July 16 SAMHSA Rural Opioid Technical Assistance Centers – July 16 SAMHSA Services Program for Residential Treatment for Pregnant and Postpartum Women – July 16 SAMHSA Tribal Behavioral Health: Suicide Prevention – July 16 SAMHSA Tribal Opioid Response Grants – July 16 HRSA Delta Rural Integrated Health Network Program – July 17 HRSA Grants to States to Support Oral Health Workforce Activities – July 17 HRSA Nurse Education, Practice, Quality, and Retention – Transition to Practice Program – July 17 HRSA Public Health Training Centers Program – July 17 HRSA Screening and Treatment for Maternal Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders – July 17 HRSA Maternal Health Emergency Management Training – July 20 HHS Protecting and Rehabilitating Sexually Exploited Women and Girls Through Long-Term Safe Homes – July 20 HHS Protecting Women and Girls through Founding and Replication of Existing Long-Term Safe Homes – July 20 HRSA Maternal Produce Prescription Program – July 20 HRSA Faculty Loan Repayment Program – Deadline Extended to July 21 Proposed Changes to Medicaid Managed Care State Directed Payments and Targeted Medicaid Fee-For-Service Payments – Comment by July 21 ACL Alzheimer’s Disease Programs Initiative – Dementia Capability in Indian Country – July 22 ACL Alzheimer’s Disease Programs Initiative – State and Community Grant Program – July 22 FEMA Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities Grants – July 23 Department of Labor Workforce Opportunity for Rural Communities (WORC) Round 7 – July 23 CMS Releases 2027 End-Stage Renal Disease Prospective Payment System Proposed Rule – Comment by August 24 FEMA Tribal Homeland Security Grant – July 24 HRSA Rural Health Network Advancement Program – July 24 DOJ Demonstration Program on Trauma-Informed, Victim Centered Training for Law Enforcement on Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking (Abby Honold) Program – July 27 HRSA Rural Hospital Provider Assistance Program – July 27 SAMHSA Emergency Department Alternatives to Opioids – July 27 SAMHSA First Responders – Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act Grants – July 27 SAMHSA Promoting the Integration of Primary and Behavioral Health Care: States – July 27 HRSA Scholarships for Disadvantage Students – July 28 ARC Appalachia READY Local Governments Training – July 31 NIH Native Collective Research Effort to Enhance Wellness (N CREW) Phase II – July 31 ACL Dementia Capable Community Health Worker Programs – August 3 HUD Pathways to Removing Obstacles to Housing – August 3 DOJ Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Act Program – August 5 Department of Education Promise Neighborhoods Program – August 6 HRSA Small Health Care Provider Quality Improvement Program – August 6 HUD Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program Community Selection – August 10 SAMHSA Special Tribal Criminal Jurisdiction Grant Program – August 11 Rural Healthcare Provider Transition Project – August 14 USDA Native Community Development Financial Institution Relending Demonstration Program – August 14 Final Rule: Criteria for Determining Maternity Care Health Professional Target Areas. – Effective August 15 CMS Issues Final Rule to Strengthen Oversight of Health Care Accrediting Organizations – Comment by August 17 CMS Proposes to Codify Policies under the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program – Comment by August 17 CMS Releases 2027 End-Stage Renal Disease Prospective Payment System Proposed Rule – Comment by August 24 DOT Tribal Transit Competitive Program – August 25 DOJ Office of Violence Against Women Grants to Indian Tribal Governments Program – September 1 DOJ Tribal Sexual Assault Services Program – September 1 NTIA Native Entities Grant Program – September 17 NTIA Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program – September 17 Targeted Technical Assistance for Rural Hospitals Program – Deadline for Next Cohort September 30 USDA America’s Healthy Food Financing Initiative – September 30 USDA Rural Development: Intermediary Relending Program – September 30 USDA Rural Development: SEARCH – Special Evaluation Assistance for Rural Communities and Households (for Water/Waste Projects) – September 30 USDA Telecommunications Infrastrastructure Loans & Guarantees – September 30 USDA Tribal Colleges Research Grants Program – December 31
Forecasted OpportunitiesHRSA Delta States Rural Development Network Program – Coming Soon CMS Student Loan Repayment for Nursing Home Staff – Coming Soon
Ongoing Opportunities - Updated July 2026Bold indicates HRSA- and/or FORHP-funded opportunities. Administration for Children & Families: Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency – Rural Emergency Medical Communications Demonstration Project Delta Region Community Health Systems Development Program General Services Administration: Federal Surplus Property Available for Public Use HRSA Needs Rural Reviewers for Grant Applications HRSA National Health Service Corps Medications for Opioid Use Disorder Training HRSA Look-Alike Initial Designation for the Health Center Program Indian Health Service/Department of Defense: Medical Supplies and Equipment for Tribes (Project TRANSAM) Licensure Portability: The Multi-Discipline Licensure Resource Project National Rural Health Resource Center: Rural Hospital Stabilization Program NIH Intervention Research to Improve Native American Health (R01 and R34 Clinical Trials Optional) – October 21, 2026 ProviderBridge: Mobilizing Health Care Workforce via Telehealth Rural Graduate Medical Education Planning and Development Small Business Administration Rural Businesses Small Business Administration Guaranteed Loans for Small Business Targeted Technical Assistance for Rural Hospitals Program USDA: National School Lunch Afterschool Snack Program USDA: Summer Food Service Program USDA/National Rural Health Association: Rural Hospital Technical Assistance USDA Rural Development: America’s Healthy Food Financing Initiative USDA Rural Development: Circuit Rider Program – Technical Assistance for Rural Water Systems USDA Rural Development: Community Facilities Programs USDA Rural Development: Emergency Community Water Assistance Grants USDA Rural Development: Grants for Rural and Native Alaskan Villages USDA Rural Development: Intermediary Relending Program – Ongoing with deadlines every quarter USDA Rural Development: Multifamily Housing Loan Guarantees USDA Rural Development: Rural Business Investment Program USDA Rural Development: Rural Energy Savings Program USDA Rural Development: SEARCH – Special Evaluation Assistance for Rural Communities and Households (for Water/Waste Projects) USDA Rural Development: Telecommunications Infrastructure Loans and Loan Guarantees U.S. Department of Transportation: Rural Opportunities to Use Transportation for Economic Success (R.O.U.T.E.S) U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: Drinking Water State Revolving Fund U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: Real Water Technical Assistance (RealWaterTA) U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs: Physical Therapy Telehealth Research Study for Older Veterans – Ongoing until October 2026 UVM Center on Rural Addiction Contingency Management Certificate Course |
