Rural Healthcare Workforce – Funding & Opportunities

Nursing Workforce Development (NWD) Program
Funding to assist students from disadvantaged backgrounds in becoming nurses using evidence-based strategies to support nursing students from enrollment through graduation. The purpose is to expand and support a workforce to provide quality care to rural and other communities in need.

Rural Residency Planning and Development Program
Grants to expand access to healthcare in rural areas by developing new sustainable rural residency programs, including rural track programs (RTPs). The program will provide start-up funding to create accredited rural residency programs in a qualifying medical specialty.

Technology-Enabled Collaborative Learning Program
Funding to evaluate, develop, and expand the use of technology-enabled collaborative learning and capacity building models for healthcare providers and other professionals. The program is designed to improve retention of healthcare providers and increase access to healthcare services in rural areas, frontier areas, Health Professional Shortage Areas, Medically Underserved Areas, for Medically Underserved Populations, and for Native Americans.

Grants to States to Support Oral Health Workforce Activities
Offers funding to states to develop and implement programs that address the oral health workforce needs of designated Dental Health Professional Shortage Areas.

Nurse Education, Practice, Quality, and Retention - Transition to Practice Program (NEPQR-TPP)
Funding to support innovative educational and clinical training opportunities, thus increasing the nursing workforce and addressing the nursing shortage in rural and medically vulnerable communities.

3RNET Recruitment and Retention Assistance
Helps health professionals find jobs in rural areas and assists employers in recruiting and retaining health professionals in rural areas.

Indian Health Service Loan Repayment Program
Loan repayment for undergraduate and graduate health professional educational loans in return for full-time clinical service in Indian Health Service programs.

American Indians Accessing Health Professions Workshop Inactive
A two day educational program designed to encourage more American Indian/Alaska Native students to pursue health professions. The program will take place July 9-11, 2026 in Riverside and Colton, California.

Delta Health Care Services Grant Program Inactive
Grants to address unmet health needs in the Delta Region through cooperation among healthcare professionals, institutions of higher education, research institutions, and other entities.

Partnerships for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization in Coal-Affected Appalachia (POWER) Inactive
Funding for workforce and economic revitalization activities in communities and regions that have been affected by job losses in coal mining, coal power plant operations, and coal-related supply chain industries. Priority sectors include but are not limited to healthcare, broadband/telecommunications, aerospace, and tourism.