Opportunity Information: Apply for HRSA 26 047

The Rural Residency Planning and Development Program (RRPD) is a federal grant opportunity from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) designed to improve health care access in rural communities by growing the rural physician workforce. The basic idea is straightforward: when physicians train in rural settings, they are more likely to practice there after graduation. RRPD supports the creation of new rural residency programs, including rural track programs (RTPs), with the goal of addressing persistent physician shortages that affect many rural areas.

This funding is specifically intended as start-up support for planning, development, and early implementation of new rural, accredited physician residency programs. While RRPD can help launch programs, it is not meant to pay for them indefinitely. Applicants are expected to build a realistic long-term sustainability plan that transitions ongoing residency financing to stable sources such as Medicare and Medicaid graduate medical education funding, along with other public or private funding streams. In other words, the grant helps get a program off the ground, but the program must be designed to survive after the grant period ends.

RRPD focuses on a defined set of medical specialties that are especially important for rural communities. The qualifying specialties listed in the opportunity are family medicine, internal medicine, preventive medicine, psychiatry, general surgery, and obstetrics and gynecology. Proposed residency programs must align with one of these specialties to be considered responsive to the notice of funding opportunity.

For this competition, a "rural residency program" has several key characteristics. It must be an accredited physician residency program, and resident clinical training must occur primarily in rural locations. Specifically, residents must spend more than 50 percent of their total residency time in clinical training sites that are physically located in a rural area, as defined by HRSA's Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP). Beyond meeting location and accreditation requirements, the program must intentionally focus on preparing physicians to practice in rural communities, not simply rotate residents through rural sites without a rural workforce mission.

Eligibility is broad across many types of domestic organizations. Eligible applicants include state, county, city or township, and special district governments; independent school districts; public and private institutions of higher education; federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations; nonprofit organizations (with or without 501(c)(3) status); for-profit organizations (including small businesses); and other domestic entities as allowed. Faith-based organizations are also eligible to apply. The opportunity is limited to domestic organizations, where "domestic" includes all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and certain Freely Associated States (the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau).

Administratively, this is a discretionary grant in the health funding category under CFDA 93.746. The funding opportunity number is HRSA-26-047. HRSA anticipates making about 15 awards, with an award ceiling of $750,000 per award. The opportunity was created on 2026-06-05, and the original application closing date is 2026-07-08.

  • The Health Resources and Services Administration in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Rural Residency Planning and Development Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
  • Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.746.
  • This funding opportunity was created on 2026-06-05.
  • Applicants must submit their applications by 2026-07-08. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
  • Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $750,000.00 in funding.
  • The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 15 candidate(s).
  • Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, For-profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses, Others.
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Rural Residency Planning and Development Program (RRPD) FAQs

What is the Rural Residency Planning and Development Program (RRPD)?

The Rural Residency Planning and Development Program (RRPD) is a federal grant opportunity from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) intended to improve health care access in rural communities by expanding the rural physician workforce. RRPD supports the creation of new rural, accredited physician residency programs, including rural track programs (RTPs).

What problem is RRPD trying to address?

RRPD is designed to help address persistent physician shortages in many rural areas. The program is built on the idea that physicians who train in rural settings are more likely to practice in rural communities after graduation.

What types of activities does RRPD funding support?

RRPD funding is intended as start-up support for planning, development, and early implementation of new rural, accredited physician residency programs. It is aimed at helping new rural residency programs get launched and become established during the early stages.

Is RRPD meant to fund a residency program permanently?

No. RRPD is not intended to pay for rural residency programs indefinitely. Applicants are expected to develop a realistic long-term sustainability plan so the residency program can continue after the grant period ends.

What does HRSA expect for long-term sustainability after the grant ends?

Applicants are expected to plan a transition to stable ongoing financing sources, such as Medicare and Medicaid graduate medical education (GME) funding, along with other public or private funding streams.

Which medical specialties are eligible under this opportunity?

Proposed residency programs must align with one of the following qualifying specialties to be considered responsive: family medicine, internal medicine, preventive medicine, psychiatry, general surgery, and obstetrics and gynecology.

What is considered a "rural residency program" for this funding opportunity?

For this competition, a rural residency program must be an accredited physician residency program where resident clinical training occurs primarily in rural locations. It must also be intentionally designed to prepare physicians for rural practice, not simply place residents in rural rotations without a rural workforce mission.

How much of resident training must take place in rural areas?

Residents must spend more than 50 percent of their total residency time in clinical training sites that are physically located in a rural area.

How is "rural area" defined for RRPD?

Rural areas are defined using HRSA's Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP) definition, and the rural requirement is based on whether the clinical training sites are physically located in areas that meet that definition.

Does the residency program have to be accredited?

Yes. The program must be an accredited physician residency program to meet the characteristics described for a rural residency program under this opportunity.

Are rural track programs (RTPs) included in what RRPD can support?

Yes. RRPD supports the creation of new rural residency programs, including rural track programs (RTPs).

Who is eligible to apply for RRPD?

Eligibility includes a broad range of domestic organizations, including: state, county, city or township, and special district governments; independent school districts; public and private institutions of higher education; federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations; nonprofit organizations (with or without 501(c)(3) status); for-profit organizations (including small businesses); and other domestic entities as allowed. Faith-based organizations are also eligible.

Are nonprofit organizations required to have 501(c)(3) status to apply?

No. Nonprofit organizations are eligible whether or not they have 501(c)(3) status, based on the eligibility description provided.

Are for-profit organizations eligible to apply?

Yes. For-profit organizations, including small businesses, are listed as eligible applicants.

Are faith-based organizations eligible to apply?

Yes. Faith-based organizations are explicitly listed as eligible to apply.

Is this opportunity limited to U.S.-based (domestic) applicants?

Yes. The opportunity is limited to domestic organizations.

What locations are included in the definition of "domestic" for this opportunity?

"Domestic" includes all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and certain Freely Associated States: the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau.

What type of grant is RRPD?

RRPD is a discretionary grant in the health funding category.

What is the CFDA number for this program?

The CFDA number listed for RRPD is 93.746.

What is the funding opportunity number?

The funding opportunity number is HRSA-26-047.

How many awards does HRSA expect to make?

HRSA anticipates making about 15 awards under this competition.

What is the maximum award amount?

The award ceiling is $750,000 per award.

When was this funding opportunity created?

The opportunity was created on 2026-06-05.

What is the application closing date?

The original application closing date is 2026-07-08.

What makes a proposal "responsive" to the notice of funding opportunity?

Based on the details provided, a proposal is responsive when it supports the creation of a new rural, accredited physician residency program (including RTPs), aligns with one of the listed qualifying specialties, places more than 50 percent of resident clinical training time in FORHP-defined rural sites, and includes an intentional rural workforce preparation mission along with a realistic sustainability plan beyond the grant period.

If residents rotate through rural sites, does that automatically meet the rural mission requirement?

No. The program must intentionally focus on preparing physicians to practice in rural communities. Simply rotating residents through rural sites without a rural workforce mission is not described as sufficient.

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