| Read this in your browser February 19, 2026 What's New UVM Center on Rural Addiction Contingency Management Certificate Course – Ongoing Opportunity. The University of Vermont (UVM) holds one of three cooperative agreements with FORHP that form the Rural Centers of Excellence on Substance Use Disorders. This four-week, fully online, self-paced course equips you to learn more about Contingency Management – an incentive-based approach that uses positive reinforcement to promote healthy behavior change. The course has a small fee – with discounts for UVM affiliates/partners, and for groups of two or more – and offers a professional certificate in Contingency Management. NHSC Loan Repayment Programs Q&A – Wednesday, February 26 at 1:00 pm Eastern. HRSA's Bureau of Health Workforce will hold the first of five Q&A sessions for three different loan repayment programs for the National Health Service Corps (NHSC). Clinicians who join the NHSC could receive up to $100,000 to pay off student loans. The programs include the NHSC Rural Community Loan Repayment Program, and the NHSC Substance Use Disorder Workforce Loan Repayment Program. In addition to awarding participants who serve in Health Professional Service Areas, HRSA also will use designated Maternity Care Target Area (MCTA) scores to distribute maternity care health professionals. Funding and Opportunities AmeriCorps State and National Grants – March 31. The Federal agency that brings volunteer service to communities is accepting applications from organizations that serve at the local level. Funding priorities include rural and Tribal communities, projects that create workforce pathways for AmeriCorps members, and goals that focus on improving quality of life. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Wildfire Smoke Preparedness in Community Buildings – April 15. The EPA provides funding for the assessment, prevention, control, and/or abatement of wildfire smoke hazards in public buildings. Rural Health Research Research in this section is located on the HRSA/FORHP-supported Rural Health Research Gateway. Sign up to receive alerts when new publications become available. New Articles Published This Month on the Rural Health Research Gateway. Among them: Policy Updates Send questions to ruralpolicy@hrsa.gov. No updates this week. Learning Events and Technical Assistance Rural Health Clinic (RHC) Billing 101 – Tuesday, February 24 at 2:00 pm Eastern. The National Association of Rural Health Clinics (NARHC) will host the free, FORHP-supported webinar with information for Rural Health Clinic (RHC) basic billing. This webinar will feature a subject matter expert. Additional time for Q&A will be provided. Advanced registration is required. Application Assistance for HRSA's Nurse Corps Loan Repayment Program – Wednesday, February 25 at 10:30 am Eastern. HRSA's Bureau of Health Workforce will answer questions about the federal program that pays up to 85 percent of unpaid nursing education debt. (See registration link for this Q&A session under "Get help with your application.") Resource of the Week Improving the Value Proposition of Critical Access Hospitals – Lessons from Federal and State Initiatives. The Flex Monitoring Team is a consortium of researchers from the Universities of Minnesota, North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Southern Maine. The team is funded by FORHP to assess the quality and viability of a specific type of rural hospital, the Critical Access Hospital (CAH). This brief identifies lessons learned from federal and state models and programs designed to improve the value proposition and patient-centeredness for rural hospitals. Approaching Deadlines U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Supportive Services for Veteran Families – February 19 CMS, Treasury, and Labor Propose Changes to Health Plan Price Transparency – Comment by February 23 CMS Solicits Public Input on 2027 Medicare Advantage & Part D Advance Notice – Comment by February 25 Proposed Rule for HTI-5 Seeks to Reduce Criteria for Health IT Certification – Comment by February 27 Veterans Affairs Health Professional Scholarship Program (HPSP) – February 27 U.S. Department of Labor YouthBuild – March 2 Department of Justice (DOJ) Violence Against Women Training and Technical Assistance Initiative – March 3 NIH Network of the National Library of Medicine Consumer Health Information Specialization Training Award – March 3 HRSA Seeks Feedback on Maternity Care Health Professional Target Areas – Comment by March 5 Department of Labor (DOL) Veterans Employment and Training Services – March 6 HRSA Nurse Corps Loan Repayment Program – March 12 Institute of Museum and Library Sciences – Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program – March 13 AmeriCorps Seniors RSVP Competition – March 26 CMS Requests Feedback on Hospital Supply Chain Policy – Comment by March 30 AmeriCorps State and National Grants – March 31 HRSA NHSC Loan Repayment – Three Programs – March 31 Now Available: Medicare Survey on Hospital Outpatient Drug Costs – Submit by March 31 USDA Rural Development: Economic Development Loan & Grants Programs – March 31 USDA Rural Development: Intermediary Relending Program – March 31 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Wildfire Smoke Preparedness in Community Buildings – April 15 Forecasted Opportunities HRSA Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP) - Planning – Estimated Post Date February 25 HRSA Rural Residency Planning and Development (RRPD) Program – Estimated Post Date March 16 HRSA Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP) – Impact – Estimated Post Date March 18 Ongoing Opportunities - Updated February 2026 Bold 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 ProviderBridge: Mobilizing Health Care Workforce via Telehealth Rural Graduate Medical Education Planning and Development Small Business Administration Guaranteed Loans for Small Business Small Business Administration Rural Initiative Pilot Program Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration/Federal Emergency Management Agency/: Post-Disaster Crisis Counseling Assistance and Training Program 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. Department of Veterans Affairs: Physical Therapy Telehealth Research Study for Older Veterans – Ongoing until October 2026 | 
