Telehealth Centers of Excellence

The Telehealth Centers of Excellence program is administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services through its Office for the Advancement of Telehealth. This initiative is designed to support advanced telehealth innovation by funding established academic medical centers that already operate successful telehealth programs. The program builds on HRSA’s longstanding mission to expand access to quality healthcare, particularly for rural populations and communities with limited access to services, by fostering evidence-based models and national dissemination of effective telehealth practices. The primary purpose of this funding opportunity is to advance innovative telehealth solutions that improve health outcomes and expand access to care. Funded centers are expected to serve as national leaders by testing, evaluating, and scaling telehealth approaches that can be replicated across diverse healthcare settings. These centers will focus on areas such as chronic disease management, behavioral health, maternal and child health, and emerging technologies including artificial intelligence and remote patient monitoring. The program emphasizes measurable impact, requiring recipients to generate actionable data and produce evidence-based tools, publications, and policy insights. Funding is provided through cooperative agreements, with two awards anticipated. Each award is fixed at 4,250,000 dollars per year across five 12-month budget periods, resulting in a total project period from September 1, 2026 through August 31, 2031. The total program funding is approximately 8,500,000 dollars annually. There is no cost-sharing requirement for this program, though voluntary contributions may be made but will not influence the review process. Funds must be used in accordance with federal cost principles and cannot support unallowable activities such as discriminatory practices or non-compliant initiatives. Eligibility is highly restricted. Applicants must be domestic public academic medical centers that are current recipients of a Telehealth Center of Excellence award. Only two incumbent organizations are eligible to apply, making this a limited competition opportunity. Applicants must demonstrate strong existing telehealth infrastructure, experience managing large-scale programs, and the capacity to conduct at least 20 telehealth projects annually with national or regional impact. The application process requires submission through Grants.gov by July 8, 2026. Applicants must complete standard federal forms along with a comprehensive project narrative, budget narrative, and multiple attachments including a work plan, staffing plan, biographical sketches, partnership agreements, and organizational charts. The project narrative must address need, approach, evaluation, performance management, sustainability, and organizational capacity. Applications are evaluated based on merit review criteria including need, response, performance reporting, impact, organizational capabilities, and budget justification. Awardees will be selected through a structured review and selection process that includes eligibility screening, merit review scoring, and risk assessment. Expected award announcements and project start dates are both September 1, 2026. Recipients will enter into a cooperative agreement with HRSA, involving ongoing federal involvement in project planning, evaluation, and dissemination. Post-award responsibilities include regular reporting, data collection through HRSA systems, collaboration with other federally funded telehealth programs, and development of a public-facing resource platform. Key contacts for this opportunity include Tracy Tendo for programmatic inquiries and Kim Ross for financial questions, with additional support available through HRSA and Grants.gov help centers. The program operates on a single-cycle basis tied to fiscal year funding, with no indication of recurring open competition beyond incumbent participants. This initiative represents a strategic investment in scaling proven telehealth innovations nationwide and strengthening healthcare access for underserved populations.

Align projects with national telehealth impact; demonstrate capacity to execute 20 projects annually; provide strong evaluation framework and data strategy; emphasize scalability and evidence-based outcomes