HHS/HRSA Office of Rural Health Policy Funding Opportunities
These grants are aimed at expanding access to, coordinating, restraining cost of, and improving the quality of essential health care in rural areas. All counties that are not part of a Metropolitan Area are eligible for the Rural Health Grants. In Metropolitan counties, Rural-Urban Commuting Areas (RUCAs) are used to determine eligibility. For more information regarding these grants or to determine geographic eligibility for these grants, please visit: http://ruralhealth.hrsa.gov/funding.

• Rural Health Care Services Outreach Grant Program
The emphasis of this grant program is on service delivery through creative strategies requiring the grantee to form a network with at least two additional partners.
http://ruralhealth.hrsa.gov/funding/outreach.htm

• Rural Health Network Development Planning Grant Program
This relatively new grant program provides one-year of funding to rural communities needing assistance in the development of an integrated healthcare network. The planning grants are to be used to develop a formal network with the purpose of improving the coordination of health services in rural communities and strengthening the rural health care system as a whole.
http://ruralhealth.hrsa.gov/funding/networkplanning.htm

• Rural Health Network Development Grant Program
These grants are designed to further ongoing collaborative relationships among health care organizations by funding rural health networks that focus on integrating clinical, information, administrative, and financial systems across members.
http://ruralhealth.hrsa.gov/funding/network.htm

• Rural Access to Emergency Devices (RAED) Grant Program
The Rural Access to Emergency Devices (RAED) Grant Program provides funding to rural communities to purchase automated external defibrillators (AEDs) and provide training in their use and maintenance.
http://ruralhealth.hrsa.gov/funding/aed.htm

• Small Rural Hospital Improvement Grant Program (SHIP)
The Office of Rural Health Policy's Small Rural Hospital Improvement Grant Program provides funding to small rural hospitals under 50 beds to help them pay for costs related to the implementation of PPS, comply with provisions of HIPAA, and/or reduce medical errors and support quality improvement. In Arizona, this grant is administered by the Rural Health Office.
http://ruralhealth.hrsa.gov/ship.htm

• Frontier Extended Stay Clinic (FESC) Cooperative Agreement Program
The purpose of the Frontier Extended Stay Clinic (FESC) Cooperative Agreement Program is to examine the effectiveness and appropriateness of a new type of provider, the FESC, in providing health care services in certain remote locations. http://ruralhealth.hrsa.gov/funding/fesc.htm

Other Funding Opportunities

• Arizona Commission of Indian Affairs
This regularly updated resource lists possibilities for grants, scholarships (including tribal scholarships), and fellowships.
http://www.indianaffairs.state.az.us/careered/grants.html

• HeartRescue Grant Program
Through HeartRescue grants, the Medtronic Foundation partners with communities and organizations to initiate or enhance early defibrillation programs to save lives that would otherwise be lost to Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA). http://www.medtronic.com/foundation/programs_hr.html

• Local Initiative Funding Partners Program
Local Initiative Funding Partners is a partnership program between The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and local grantmakers that supports innovative, community-based projects to improve health and health care for vulnerable populations. Local Initiative Funding Partners provides grants of $100,000 to $500,000 per project, which must be matched dollar for dollar by local grantmakers such as community foundations, family foundations, corporate grantmakers, and others.
http://www.lifp.org/html/apply/programdetails.html

• Multiplan’s Rural Health Outreach Grant Program
This program seeks to help rural hospitals develop creative community outreach programs that encourage new services or reach new populations. Each recipient of a rural grant will receive $3,000 for the purpose of implementing an outreach program in their community. http://www.multiplan.com/index.cfm?id=provider/provider_ruralhealth

• Office of Advancement of Telehealth’s (OAT) Telehealth Network Grant Program
OAT’s Telehealth Network Grant Program is a competitive, merit-based grant program. The program helps increase access to quality health care services for the underserved by promoting the use of advanced telecommunications and information technologies by rural health providers across America.
http://www.hrsa.gov/grants/

• Rural Cooperative Development Grant Program
Rural Cooperative Development grants are made for establishing and operating centers for cooperative development for the primary purpose of improving the economic condition of rural areas through the development of new cooperatives and improving operations of existing cooperatives.
http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/rbs/coops/rcdg/rcdg.htm

• Rural Emergency Responders Initiative
The Rural Development, through its community facilities program, provides funding for the Rural Emergency Responders Initiative to specifically strengthen the ability of rural communities to respond to local emergencies. The community facilities program funds are used to support rural emergency responder efforts by financing needed equipment and services. These funds are available to public bodies, non-profit organizations, and recognized Indian tribes.
http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/rhs/cf/Emerg_Responder/rural_emergency_responders_initi.htm

• Rural Fire Assistance (RFA)
The Rural Fire Assistance Program is designed to increase firefighter safety and enhance the fire protection capabilities of rural fire departments by assisting those departments in meeting or exceeding accepted standards of wildfire qualifications, training and performance. Emphasis is placed on departments that protect rural communities of less than 10,000 and play a substantial role in the protection of federal lands managed by the Department of the Interior (DOI). Funding assistance is limited to advanced/basic wildland fire training and wildland personal protective equipment this year.
http://www.azsf.az.gov/

• Rural Mental Health and Drug Abuse Research
The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) invite grant applications for research that will ultimately lead to a reduction in the burden of mental illness and drug abuse in rural and frontier populations. The purpose of this program announcement is to stimulate research on mental health and/or drug abuse problems in rural and frontier communities that will: (1) enhance understanding of structural (including community risk and resilience factors), cultural, and individual factors that may limit the provision and utilization of prevention and treatment services in these communities; and (2) generate knowledge to improve the organization, financing, delivery, effectiveness, quality, and outcomes of mental health and drug abuse services for diverse populations in rural and frontier populations. Applications may focus exclusively on mental disorders, drug abuse disorders, or on the co-occurrence of these and related disorders. Comparison of rural and urban populations and/or comparisons between rural populations is encouraged whenever possible, but this is not a requirement.
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-04-061.html

• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Grants
(1) Knowledge Dissemination Conference Grants Program Announcement (Short Title: SAMHSA Conference Grants)
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS), Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP), and Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) are accepting applications for SAMHSA Knowledge Dissemination Conference Grants (also referred to as SAMHSA Conference Grants). The purpose of the Conference Grant program is to disseminate knowledge about practices within the mental health services and substance abuse prevention and treatment fields and to integrate that knowledge into real-world practice as effectively and efficiently as possible.
http://www.samhsa.gov/grants/2006/RFA/PA_06_001_Conference.aspx

(2) Safe Schools/Healthy Students (SS/HS) Initiative
Since 1999, the U.S. Departments of Education, Health and Human Services, and Justice have collaborated on the Safe Schools/Healthy Students (SS/HS) Initiative. The SS/HS Initiative is a discretionary grant program that provides students, schools, and communities with federal funding to implement an enhanced, coordinated, comprehensive plan of activities, programs, and services that focus on promoting healthy childhood development and preventing violence and alcohol and other drug abuse. Eligible local educational agencies (LEAs) or a consortium of LEAs, in partnership with their community's local public mental health authority, local law enforcement agency, and local juvenile justice entity, are able to submit a single application for federal funds to support a variety of activities, curriculums, programs, and services.
http://www.sshs.samhsa.gov/apply/default.aspx

(3) Strengthening Treatment Access and Retention – State Implementation Cooperative Agreements (STAR-SI)
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) announces the availability of FY 2006 funds for the Strengthening Treatment Access and Retention – State Implementation (STAR-SI) program. STAR-SI is an infrastructure cooperative agreement program that promotes State-level implementation of process improvement methods to improve access to and retention in outpatient treatment. Outpatient treatment facilities account for 80 percent of all substance abuse treatment programs in the United States and serve 89 percent of the 1.1 million clients in care on any day (National Survey of Substance Abuse Treatment Services, SAMHSA, 2002). Outpatient treatment providers face tremendous challenges in their efforts to serve populations in need of treatment. States are in a unique position to effect system change by working together with outpatient substance abuse treatment providers to remove systems barriers, streamline administrative procedures, provide incentives and assist provider networks in their efforts to improve access and retention performance outcomes. Note: While the terms “State” and “State-level” implementation are used throughout this document, federally recognized tribes and tribal organizations are also eligible for this program
http://www.samhsa.gov/Grants06/RFA/TI_06_006_STAR_SI.aspx

(4) Family Centered Substance Abuse Treatment Grants for Adolescents and their Families
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) announces the availability of FY 2006 funds for Family Centered Substance Abuse Treatment Grants for Adolescents and their Families. Grants under this program are authorized under Section 509 of the Public Health Service Act, as amended. The program addresses the Healthy People 2010 focus area 26-Substance Abuse.
http://www.samhsa.gov/Grants06/RFA/TI_06_007_adolescent.aspx

• The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Grants
(1) Small Grant Program for Conference Support
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), announces its continued interest in supporting conferences through its Small Grant Program for Conference Support. AHRQ seeks to support conferences that help to further its mission to improve the quality, safety, efficiency, and effectiveness of health care for all Americans. The types of conferences eligible for support include: 1) Research development - conferences where issues or challenges in the delivery of health services are defined and a research agenda or strategy for studying them is developed; 2) Design and methodology - conferences where methodological and technical issues of major importance in the field of health services research are addressed or new designs and methodologies are developed; 3) Dissemination conferences - where research findings are summarized and communicated broadly to organizations and individuals that have the capability to use the information to improve the outcomes, quality, access to, and cost and utilization of health care services; and/or, 4) Research Training, Infrastructure and Career Development-conferences where research faculty and students are brought together with users of research to develop, share and disseminate research products, experiences, curricula, syllabi, approaches or core competencies required to train individuals from multi- and interdisciplinary backgrounds or prepare developing or emerging research institutions to conduct and translate research related to fostering improvements in health care delivery in the US.
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-06-074.html

(2) Large Grant Program for Conference Support
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) announces its continued interest in supporting conferences through its Large Grant Program for Conference Support. AHRQ Large conference grants are those with direct costs of more than $50,000 per year or with a project period of longer than 1 year, but not exceeding 5 years. This Program is intended to complement and promote AHRQ's core research by providing a mechanism for Agency stakeholders and others to (1) develop health services research agendas and identify strategies and mechanisms for studying them; (2) discuss and develop consensus around health services research methodological and technical issues; (3) disseminate health services research information and facilitate adoption of research findings from AHRQ-sponsored research and research training grants in the formulation or evaluation of health policy, management of health care programs, and use or purchase of health services; and (4) develop partnerships with stakeholder organizations and build their capacity to participate in research activities and use the results of health services research.
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-03-117.html

(3) Small Research Grant Program
AHRQ announces a program of small research grants designed to provide support for new investigators or researchers new to health care services issues and encourage preliminary, exploratory, or innovative research in new or previously unexamined areas.
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-01-040.html

(4) AHRQ Health Services Research
The mission of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), is to enhance
the quality, appropriateness, and effectiveness of health services, and access to such services, through the establishment of a broad base of scientific research and through the promotion of improvements in clinical and health systems practices, including the prevention of disease and other health conditions. AHRQ achieves this mission through health services research designed to (1) improve clinical practice, (2) improve the health care system’s ability to provide access to and deliver high quality, high-value health care, and (3) provide policymakers with the ability to assess the impact of system changes on outcomes, quality, access to, cost, and use of health care services. AHRQ’s research agenda is designed to be responsive to the needs of consumers, patients, clinicians and other providers, institutions, plans, purchasers, and public policymakers for the evidence-based information they need to improve quality and outcomes, control costs, and assure access to needed services.

• The Healthy Communities Access Program (HCAP)
The purpose of HCAP is to assist communities and consortia of health care providers and others they represent to develop or strengthen integrated community health care delivery systems that coordinate health care services for individuals who are uninsured or underinsured and to develop or strengthen activities related to providing coordinated care for uninsured or underinsured individuals with chronic conditions. http://bphc.hrsa.gov/cap/

• The Rural Community Development Initiative
The Rural Community Development Initiative (RCDI) program provides grants to qualified intermediary organizations that will provide financial and technical assistance to recipients to develop their capacity and ability to undertake projects related to housing, community facilities, or community and economic development. http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/rhs/rcdi/index.htm

• The Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC), Rural Health Care Division
The Rural Health Care Division of USAC is responsible for ensuring that health care providers in rural areas obtain the benefits of the Internet and current telecommunications technology as provided for by the United States Congress and the Federal Communications Commission through universal service support. The FCC established a program that will fund up to $400 million annually so that rural health care providers pay no more than their urban counterparts for the same or similar telecommunication services.
http://www.rhc.universalservice.org/overview/rhcd.asp

• Tribe Management Grant Program
The purpose of the Tribal Management Grant (TMG) Program is to assist federally-recognized Tribes and tribally-sanctioned Tribal organizations in assuming all or part of existing Indian Health Service programs, services, functions, and activities (PSFA) through a Title I contract and to assist established Title I contractors and Title V compactors to further develop and improve their management capability.
http://www.ihs.gov/NonMedicalPrograms/tmg/index.asp

• Volunteer Fire Assistance Grant Program
The Arizona State Land Department, Forestry Division, with assistance from the
USDA, Forest Service, administers the Volunteer Fire Assistance Grant Program. This Program is authorized by the Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act of 1990, (Farm Bill) and provides financial assistance to train, organize, and equip fire departments in rural areas and rural communities to prevent and suppress fires. A rural community is defined as having 10,000 or less population.
http://www.azsf.az.gov/

• W.K. Kellogg Foundation: Rural People, Rural Policy
Rural People, Rural Policy (RPRP) is a multi-year national initiative that energizes and equips rural organizations and networks to shape policy that will improve the lives of rural people and the vitality of rural communities. The Rural People, Rural Policy Initiative is based on the premise that rural America has abundant assets and that the brightest potential for rural America will come when rural people are stronger, more organized policy actors. The goal, therefore, of the Rural People, Rural Policy Initiative is to build and strengthen skilled networks and rural organizations to be articulate and act in the policy arena. This Initiative will make rural communities’ problems and potential visible enough to gain national attention, and to change policy and practice in rural America for the better.
http://www.wkkf.org/default.aspx?tabid=75&CID=274&NID=61&LanguageID=0

• For more grant opportunities, please visit Grants.gov at the following URL:
http://www.grants.gov/

• For more information regarding funding opportunities, visit the Rural Assistance Center’s Grant and Funding Resources section (http://www.raconline.org/info_guides/funding/) and the Rural Information Center’s Funding Resources section (http://www.nal.usda.gov/ric/ruralres/funding.htm).

Opportunities for Individuals

• Indian Health Service Scholarships
The Indian Health Service (IHS) is committed to encouraging American Indians and Alaska Natives to enter the health professions and to assuring the availability of Indian health professionals to serve Indians. Approximately 159 awards will be made under the Health Professions Preparatory and Pregraduate Scholarship Programs for Indians. The awards are for 10 months in duration and the average award to a full-time student is approximately $23,619. An estimated 273 awards will be made under the Indian Health Scholarship (Professions) Program. The awards are for 12 months in duration and the average award to a full-time student is for approximately $35,242. In FY 2006, an estimated $4,640,000 is available for continuation awards, and an estimated $6,960,000 is available for new awards. For more information, contact your local Indian Health Service office. For Phoenix Area IHS, contact: Al Peyketewa at (602) 364-5252. For Tucson Area IHS, contact: Reanetta Siquieros at (520) 295-2440. For Navajo Area IHS, contact Roselinda Allison at (928) 871-1358.

• Executive Nurse Fellowships
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Executive Nurse Fellows Program is an advanced leadership program for nurses in senior executive roles in health services, public health and nursing education and who aspire to help shape the U.S. health care system of the future. The three-year fellowships allow participating nurses to remain in their current positions while they gain experiences, insights, competencies and skills necessary for executive leadership positions in a health care system undergoing unprecedented change. The program is designed to give nursing and nurses a more influential role across many sectors of the economy. Application deadline is February 1, 2006.
www.rwjf.org/cfp/executivenursefellows

• Native American Congressional Internships
The Native American Congressional Internship Program provides Native Americans and Alaska Natives with an insider's view of the federal government. The ten-week internship in Washington, D.C. places students in Senate and House offices, committees, Cabinet departments and the White House, where they are able to observe government decision-making processes first-hand. In 2006, the Morris K. Udall Foundation expects to award 12 Internships on the basis of merit to Native Americans and Alaska Natives who: are college juniors or seniors, recent graduates from tribal or four-year colleges, or graduate or law students; have demonstrated an interest in fields related to tribal public policy, such as tribal governance, tribal law, Native American education, Native American health, Native American justice, natural resource protection, and Native American economic development. Application deadline is January 31, 2006.
http://www.udall.gov/udall.asp?link=300