Rural Health Research Dissemination Program

The Rural Health Research Dissemination Program is administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, specifically through the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy. This office serves as the primary federal entity focused on improving health outcomes in rural communities and advising federal leadership on rural health system challenges, including access to care, workforce shortages, and financial sustainability of rural providers. Through its Rural Health Research Center Program and related initiatives, the agency funds research that informs policy and practice, and this dissemination program is designed to ensure that such research reaches a broad and relevant audience. The purpose of this funding opportunity is to support a single organization in disseminating rural health services research to national, state, and local stakeholders. The program emphasizes making research findings accessible, understandable, and actionable for decision-makers, providers, and community stakeholders. Key focus areas include rural mental health, infant mortality, occupational safety, preventive health, and other topics aligned with improving rural health outcomes. The selected applicant is expected to translate complex research into user-friendly formats and ensure that it is widely available to the public. Funding under this opportunity will be awarded as a cooperative agreement, with an anticipated total funding amount of 230000 dollars and one expected award. The project period spans five years, structured as five consecutive 12-month budget periods, beginning July 1, 2026, and ending June 30, 2031. While the award ceiling is 230000 dollars for the first year, continued funding in subsequent years depends on appropriations, recipient performance, and alignment with federal priorities. There is no cost-sharing or matching requirement associated with this opportunity. Recipients are required to carry out a range of dissemination activities. These include developing and maintaining a centralized website that catalogs rural health research, ensuring the content is freely accessible, and implementing dissemination strategies such as email listservs, webinars, conference presentations, and social media outreach. The program also emphasizes synthesizing research into concise summaries and promoting evidence-based, solution-oriented findings that address measurable health improvements. Certain costs and activities are restricted, including lobbying, advertising campaigns, and expenses related to journal subscriptions or publishing fees. Eligibility for this program is broad and includes domestic public and private entities such as state and local governments, nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status, institutions of higher education, tribal governments and organizations, and for-profit entities. However, individuals are not eligible to apply. All applicants must be based within U.S. states, territories, or associated jurisdictions as defined in the notice. Applicants must also demonstrate the organizational capacity to manage federal funds, conduct dissemination activities, and collaborate with federal partners. The application process requires submission through Grants.gov by July 8, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time. Applicants must complete standard federal forms and include components such as a project narrative, budget and budget justification, staffing plan, organizational chart, and any partnership agreements. Applications are evaluated through a merit-based review process using criteria such as demonstrated need, quality of proposed approach, evaluation strategy, organizational capacity, and budget justification. Awards are expected to be announced around September 2026, with project activities beginning shortly thereafter. Applicants may contact the program coordinator, Karis Tyner, via email for additional information or assistance during the application process.

Align proposal closely with dissemination requirements; emphasize measurable outcomes and evaluation metrics; demonstrate strong experience in rural health research and stakeholder engagement