Rural Health Research Dissemination Program
Can you apply?
This grant is for organizations conducting health research with findings relevant to rural populations and healthcare delivery. Eligible applicants typically include accredited schools of medicine, nursing, dentistry, pharmacy, public health, and allied health professions, as well as 501(c)(3) organizations, hospitals, research institutions, and state/local health agencies. The program supports dissemination and implementation activities that help translate rural health research into practice across rural communities nationwide. Funded activities include developing dissemination materials, training programs, continuing education, and partnerships to ensure research findings reach rural practitioners and policymakers. Geographic scope is national, with emphasis on underserved and frontier rural areas.
Key dates
- Dec 23, 2025 Applications open
- Jun 25, 2026 Application deadline in 24 days
- Jul 1, 2026 Award announced
- Jul 1, 2026 Project start
This grant is for organizations conducting health research with findings relevant to rural populations and healthcare delivery. Eligible applicants typically include accredited schools of medicine, nursing, dentistry, pharmacy, public health, and allied health professions, as well as 501(c)(3) organizations, hospitals, research institutions, and state/local health agencies. The program supports dissemination and implementation activities that help translate rural health research into practice across rural communities nationwide. Funded activities include developing dissemination materials, training programs, continuing education, and partnerships to ensure research findings reach rural practitioners and policymakers. Geographic scope is national, with emphasis on underserved and frontier rural areas.
Program description
This notice announces the opportunity to apply for funding under the Rural Health Research Dissemination Program. The purpose of this program is to fund an entity to disseminate and promote rural health services research to broad audiences, such as decision makers and rural stakeholders at national, state, and community levels. FORHP funds health services research through the Rural Health Research Center (RHRC) Program and other cooperative agreements. The successful applicant for this program will develop and maintain a website that catalogs this research so that it is easily and freely accessible to the public. The successful applicant will also develop and maintain strategies to disseminate this research through a variety of innovative mechanisms including (but not limited to) a listserv, social media accounts, presentations, and exhibits at national conferences, and webinars.
Who can apply
Eligible applicants
- 501(c)(3) Public Charity
- City / Municipal Government
- County Government
- Hospital
- Nonprofits
- Private University
- Public K-12 School
- Public University
- Small Business (SBA-defined)
- Special District
- State Government
- Tribal Nation
- Tribal Organization
Demographic focus
Details
This grant is for organizations conducting health research with findings relevant to rural populations and healthcare delivery. Eligible applicants typically include accredited schools of medicine, nursing, dentistry, pharmacy, public health, and allied health professions, as well as 501(c)(3) organizations, hospitals, research institutions, and state/local health agencies. The program supports dissemination and implementation activities that help translate rural health research into practice across rural communities nationwide. Funded activities include developing dissemination materials, training programs, continuing education, and partnerships to ensure research findings reach rural practitioners and policymakers. Geographic scope is national, with emphasis on underserved and frontier rural areas.
How to apply
Application links
Key dates & requirements
Required documents
- SF-424 Federal Application for Grants and Cooperative Agreements
- Project narrative (typically 15-20 pages) describing research, dissemination strategy, and implementation plan
- Budget and budget narrative with justification
- Organizational capacity documentation (organizational chart, relevant staff qualifications and CVs)
- Letters of commitment from rural health partners and implementation sites
- Evaluation plan with measurable outcomes and timeline
- Data management and quality assurance plan
- Evidence of institutional support and fiscal accountability
Program contact
- 👤 Karis Tyner
- 📧 ktyner@hrsa.gov
- 📞 (301) 287-2615
Funding track record
Recent awards under CFDA 93.155 from the last 3 years — real organizations that won funding through this same program.
Top 10 Largest Recent Awards
-
$28,772,882
-
$21,387,744
-
$16,352,830
-
$16,346,199
-
$15,760,936
-
$13,599,608
-
$13,177,176
-
$13,061,265
-
$12,122,351
-
$11,885,296
Top States by Funding
- TX 2 awards $32.1M
- NC 6 awards $26.6M
- MN 2 awards $24.2M
- IA 2 awards $22.0M
- KS 1 awards $21.4M
Source: USAspending.gov — federal spending transparency. Data covers last 3 years.
Funding history
Annual funding for this program — Federal obligations (CFDA 93.155). How funding has trended year over year.
| 2024 | $7,702,529 | |
| 2025 | $6,090,000 | |
| 2026 est. | $6,430,000 |
FAQ
Who is eligible to apply for this grant?
Academic institutions (schools of medicine, nursing, dentistry, pharmacy, public health), 501(c)(3) nonprofits, hospitals, research centers, state and local health agencies, and other organizations with demonstrated capacity to conduct and disseminate rural health research are typically eligible.
What types of activities does this program fund?
The program supports research dissemination, implementation science, knowledge translation, training programs, webinars, publications, practice guidelines, and partnerships to bring rural health research findings into real-world practice.
What is the application timeline?
Applications open in late December with specific deadline dates published on HRSA's Grants.gov page. Monitor the HRSA website for exact deadlines and submission requirements for the current funding cycle.
How competitive is this grant?
This is a moderately competitive federal program. Success requires strong evidence of prior research accomplishments, clear dissemination strategy, established relationships with rural partners, and demonstrated impact potential. A well-developed logic model and evaluation plan strengthen applications.
What is the typical funding range?
HRSA rural health grants typically range from $150,000 to $500,000+ annually depending on scope and project design. Consult the specific FOA for exact funding parameters for this cycle.
💡 Tips for applicants
- Establish partnerships with rural healthcare providers, clinics, and health systems early to ensure research findings address real practice needs and barriers in rural settings.
- Develop a detailed dissemination and implementation plan that identifies specific rural audiences, channels (journals, conferences, training programs), and measurable outcomes for reaching practitioners.
- Use rural advisory boards or community partners to guide research translation; reviewers value co-design approaches that ensure cultural relevance and practical applicability.
- Clearly articulate the gap between current research knowledge and rural practice, showing how your dissemination project fills that gap with evidence-based solutions.
- Build in evaluation and sustainability planning that demonstrates how dissemination activities will continue beyond the grant period and create lasting impact in rural health systems.
⚠️ Common mistakes
Applications often fail when applicants lack demonstrated relationships with rural healthcare partners or do not provide a realistic, detailed plan for how research will actually reach rural practitioners. Weak evaluation plans that focus on dissemination outputs (e.g., papers published) rather than practice outcomes (e.g., provider adoption, clinical changes) are also commonly rejected. Additionally, proposals that treat rural areas as a monolith without acknowledging regional differences, frontier challenges, or specific barriers to implementation tend to score lower.
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