Rural Residency Planning and Development Program
🏛 Health Resources and Services Administration (HHS-HRSA)
✓ Free, no account · Source: Grants.gov · Last verified Oct 19, 2026
Can you apply?
This grant is for organizations creating new accredited rural physician residency programs. Eligible applicants are accredited medical schools, teaching hospitals, and organizations that can establish residency training programs in family medicine, internal medicine, psychiatry, general surgery, or obstetrics/gynecology. Clinical training sites must be physically located in HRSA-defined rural areas for over 50% of resident training time. Applicants must demonstrate a plan for long-term sustainability through Medicare, Medicaid, or other stable funding sources beyond the grant period.
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Key dates
- Aug 7, 2026 Applications open
- Mar 18, 2027 Application deadline in 149 days
- Jul 1, 2027 Award announced
- Aug 1, 2027 Project start
Program description
The Rural Residency Planning and Development (RRPD) program improves and expands rural health care access. It does this by developing new, accredited, sustainable rural residency programs, including rural track programs (RTPs). Newly created rural physician residency programs increase training and ultimately practice in rural areas to address physician shortages. The RRPD program provides start-up funding to create new rural residency programs in qualifying medical specialties. Long-term sustainability funding must come from viable and stable sources, such as Medicare, Medicaid, and other public or private sources. Qualifying medical specialties are:
- Family medicine.
- Internal medicine.
- Psychiatry.
- General surgery.
- Obstetrics and gynecology.
For this notice of funding opportunity (NOFO), rural residency programs:
- Are accredited physician residency programs.
- Train residents in clinical training sites that are physically located in a rural area as defined by HRSA’s Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP) for greater than 50 percent of their total time in residency.
- Focus on preparing physicians to practice in rural communities.
Who can apply
Eligible applicants
- 501(c)(3) Public Charity
- City / Municipal Government
- County Government
- Hospital
- Nonprofits
- Private University
- Public Authority
- Public K-12 School
- Public University
- Small Business (SBA-defined)
- Special District
- State Government
- Tribal Nation
- Tribal Organization
Demographic focus
How to apply
Application links
Key dates & requirements
Required documents
- SF-424 (Application for Federal Assistance)
- Project Narrative/Proposal
- Budget and Budget Narrative
- Organizational documentation (IRS 501(c)(3) letter or equivalent)
- Letters of support from rural healthcare partners
- Curriculum vitae of program leadership
- Documentation of HRSA rural area designation
- Accreditation pathway plan
Program contact
- 👤 Jason Steele
- 📧 ruralresidency@hrsa.gov
- 📞 301-443-2203
Funding track record
No recent recipient data available for CFDA 93.746 in our database.
This can happen for newer programs, programs that use non-standard award types (loans, direct payments, fellowships), or those funded through sub-agencies under different codes.
Funding history
Annual funding for this program — Federal obligations (CFDA 93.746). How funding has trended year over year.
| 2024 | $11,996,279 | |
| 2025 | $14,234,838 | |
| 2026 est. | $10,500,000 |
FAQ
Who can apply for this grant?
Accredited medical schools, teaching hospitals, and healthcare organizations able to establish new rural residency programs. You must have capacity to create programs in qualifying specialties.
What specialties are eligible?
Family medicine, internal medicine, psychiatry, general surgery, and obstetrics/gynecology only.
What counts as a rural area?
Areas meeting HRSA's Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP) rural designations. Clinical training must occur in rural locations for more than 50% of resident time.
Is cost-sharing required?
No. This is a straight grant with no required cost-sharing or matching funds.
What funding range should I expect?
Awards vary. The total funding pool is $11.25 million. Consult the NOFO for specific award tiers and amounts.
💡 Tips for applicants
- Verify rural designation early. Confirm all clinical training sites meet HRSA's rural definition before developing your proposal.
- Focus your sustainability plan. Show clearly how your program will fund residency positions after grant funding ends.
- Document accreditation pathway. Outline your timeline and strategy for achieving full ACGME accreditation.
- Build stakeholder partnerships. Include letters of support from rural healthcare organizations, local health systems, and community leaders.
- Address physician shortage data. Provide local or regional evidence of physician shortages in your target specialty.
⚠️ Common mistakes
Applications fail when sustainability plans are vague or dependent on uncertain revenue sources. Applicants sometimes overestimate how many residents can train in rural settings given local infrastructure limits. Proposals lacking evidence of strong community partnerships and rural health system buy-in score poorly.
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