Grants to States to Support Oral Health Workforce Activities (SOHW)
Can you apply?
This grant is for state health departments, state workforce development agencies, and state-designated primary care associations to develop, expand, and sustain oral health workforce activities. The program supports workforce planning, education and training initiatives, loan repayment programs, and career pipeline development focused on dental professionals in underserved areas. Eligible applicants are state governments and state-level organizations. The geographic scope is nationwide, with emphasis on rural and underserved communities. Supported activities include workforce assessment, training program development, practitioner recruitment and retention, and integration of oral health into primary care settings.
⚖️ Cost sharing / matching required — applicants must contribute their own funds.
Key dates
- May 13, 2026 Applications open
- Jun 22, 2026 Application deadline in 21 days
- Aug 31, 2026 Award announced
- Sep 1, 2026 Project start
This grant is for state health departments, state workforce development agencies, and state-designated primary care associations to develop, expand, and sustain oral health workforce activities. The program supports workforce planning, education and training initiatives, loan repayment programs, and career pipeline development focused on dental professionals in underserved areas. Eligible applicants are state governments and state-level organizations. The geographic scope is nationwide, with emphasis on rural and underserved communities. Supported activities include workforce assessment, training program development, practitioner recruitment and retention, and integration of oral health into primary care settings.
Program description
This program supports states in developing and implementing innovative programs to address the oral health workforce needs of Dental Health Professional Shortage Areas (Dental HPSAs).
Who can apply
Eligible applicants
Demographic focus
Details
This grant is for state health departments, state workforce development agencies, and state-designated primary care associations to develop, expand, and sustain oral health workforce activities. The program supports workforce planning, education and training initiatives, loan repayment programs, and career pipeline development focused on dental professionals in underserved areas. Eligible applicants are state governments and state-level organizations. The geographic scope is nationwide, with emphasis on rural and underserved communities. Supported activities include workforce assessment, training program development, practitioner recruitment and retention, and integration of oral health into primary care settings.
How to apply
Application links
Key dates & requirements
Required documents
- SF-424 Federal Application for Grants and Cooperative Agreements
- Project narrative describing workforce need assessment, proposed activities, and expected outcomes
- Work plan with timelines and responsible parties
- Detailed budget and budget narrative
- Letters of support from state agencies, healthcare facilities, dental schools, and workforce partners
- Documentation of state authority and coordination with relevant agencies
- Evaluation plan with measurable objectives and data collection methods
- Organizational capacity statements demonstrating ability to administer grant
Program contact
- 👤 Jesse Ungard
- 📧 jungard@hrsa.gov
- 📞 3014436249
Funding track record
Recent awards under CFDA 93.236 from the last 3 years — real organizations that won funding through this same program.
Top 10 Largest Recent Awards
-
$2,799,280
-
$2,717,960
-
$2,683,441
-
$2,471,442
-
$1,702,322
-
$1,600,000
-
$1,600,000
-
$1,600,000
-
$1,600,000
-
$1,600,000
Top States by Funding
- DC 3 awards $3.5M
- WI 2 awards $3.2M
- WA 1 awards $2.8M
- IA 2 awards $2.8M
- CO 2 awards $2.8M
Source: USAspending.gov — federal spending transparency. Data covers last 3 years.
Funding history
Annual funding for this program — Federal obligations (CFDA 93.236). How funding has trended year over year.
| 2024 | $13,589,149 | |
| 2025 | $14,429,818 |
FAQ
Who is eligible to apply for the SOHW grant?
State health departments, state workforce agencies, and state primary care associations designated by the state are eligible applicants.
What geographic areas does this grant cover?
The program is nationwide but prioritizes rural and underserved communities with limited access to dental care.
What types of workforce activities are supported?
Eligible activities include workforce planning, establishing or expanding education/training programs, loan repayment initiatives, career pathway development, and recruiting oral health professionals to underserved areas.
How competitive is this program?
This is a moderately competitive federal grant with emphasis on evidence-based workforce solutions and demonstrated need. Applicants should present clear data on oral health workforce gaps in their state.
What is the typical funding range?
Federal oral health workforce grants typically provide $500,000 to $1.5 million annually, though specific amounts vary by funding cycle and state need.
💡 Tips for applicants
- Conduct a thorough state-level oral health workforce needs assessment using data on dentist shortages, geographic maldistribution, and population access barriers to establish compelling justification.
- Partner with dental schools, community health centers, and workforce development boards to strengthen your application and ensure coordination with existing training infrastructure.
- Develop measurable outcomes that track workforce pipeline growth—such as number of practitioners trained, recruitment success, and retention rates in underserved areas.
- Align your proposal with state health workforce plans and demonstrate how this grant advances broader state health equity and access goals.
- Include letters of support from practice sites, employers, and communities that will benefit from expanded oral health workforce capacity.
⚠️ Common mistakes
Applicants often fail to provide robust baseline data on their state's oral health workforce gaps, making it difficult for reviewers to assess need and measure project success. A second common issue is proposing activities in isolation without demonstrating integration with existing state workforce systems, dental education programs, or health professions training infrastructure. Finally, weak partnerships or vague commitments from dental practices and healthcare facilities undermine credibility—reviewers expect concrete evidence that training graduates will have employment pathways.
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