Maternal Health Provider Training Grant

The Maternal Health Provider Training grant is administered by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services through its Bureau of Policy Planning and Access as part of the broader Rural Health Transformation Program. This initiative is supported by federal funding from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and is designed to strengthen rural health systems across Michigan. The program reflects a statewide effort to ensure that residents in rural and partially rural communities have access to high quality, coordinated health care services close to home. The Maternal Health Provider Training funding opportunity specifically targets workforce development challenges in maternal health care delivery. The primary objective of this grant is to support training and professional development for health care professionals who provide maternal health services in rural Michigan. The program aims to increase the number of qualified providers capable of addressing maternal health needs, particularly in underserved areas experiencing provider shortages and facility closures. Applicants are expected to design programs that expand workforce capacity through training, certification, and professional development strategies that align with community and organizational needs. These strategies may include continuing education, mentorship programs, workforce pipeline development, and collaborative care models. Funding under this opportunity totals five million dollars, with individual awards ranging from two hundred thousand to one million dollars. Approximately twelve awards are anticipated. Funds may be used for training program development, professional development initiatives, workforce expansion efforts, and activities that support providers in practicing at the top of their license. However, certain expenses are explicitly prohibited, including construction, land acquisition, lobbying, entertainment, and direct cash assistance not tied to program activities. Applicants must also ensure alignment with licensing and credentialing requirements and demonstrate how their proposed activities will improve maternal and infant health outcomes. Eligible applicants include a broad range of entities such as nonprofit organizations, public and private health care providers, local health departments, universities, federally recognized tribes, and other organizations serving rural populations. Applicants must demonstrate alignment with rural health needs using data sources such as community health needs assessments. The program prioritizes projects serving fully rural counties and requires applicants to identify targeted maternal health professions and measurable outcomes. Additionally, successful applicants must track a five year service commitment for individuals receiving training, as required by federal funding conditions. Applications must be submitted electronically through the EGrAMS system. Applicants are required to complete registration, submit a project director request, and ensure all materials are validated prior to submission. A pre application webinar is offered to provide guidance on the application process, and technical assistance is available until midday on the application deadline. The application itself must include a narrative, workplan, budget, and documentation demonstrating organizational capacity and alignment with program goals. Only one application per organization is permitted. The application deadline is August 4, 2026 at 3:00 PM Eastern Time, with a project director access request deadline of July 30, 2026. Awards are expected to be approved in September 2026, with the performance period running from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. Applications are evaluated based on a 100 point scoring system, with a minimum score of 80 required for funding consideration. Evaluation criteria include program implementation, organizational experience, staff qualifications, workplan quality, and budget justification. This funding opportunity is part of a larger, coordinated initiative to strengthen rural health infrastructure and workforce capacity in Michigan. By focusing on maternal health provider training, the program seeks to address disparities in maternal and infant outcomes while ensuring sustainable access to care in rural communities. The grant is competitive and emphasizes innovation, measurable outcomes, and alignment with statewide health priorities.

Align proposal with rural maternal health workforce gaps use data driven needs assessments and clearly link training strategies to measurable outcomes and evaluation criteria