New Rural Health Funding & Opportunities from the Past 30 Days

National Sexual Assault Kit Initiative
Funding to reduce violent crime and support law enforcement officers and prosecutors by improving investigations in connection with evidence and cases resulting from the sexual assault kit testing process, as well as other violent cold case crimes. Rural and tribal communities are a program priority.

Expanding Access to Sexual Assault Forensic Examinations
Funding to establish and/or expand medical forensic exams and sexual assault victim services in a hospital or non-hospital setting to sexual assault victims. A focus of the program is the use of innovative ways of bringing experienced medical forensic examiners to rural, tribal, and underserved communities.

AgriSafe Nurse Scholar Program
A distance learning opportunity available to rural nurses designed to increase knowledge base in prevention, identification, and assessment of diseases related to agricultural work exposures. A partial scholarship is available for nurses working in nonprofit organizations, Rural Health Clinics, Federally Qualified Health Centers, and educational institutions. A full scholarship is available for nurses from Illinois that work in Rural Health Clinics, Federally Qualified Health Centers, government agencies, academia, and nonprofit organizations.

Delta Regional Authority Community Infrastructure Fund
Funding for community-based and regional projects in the Delta Regional Authority service area that address basic public infrastructure, transportation infrastructure, and flood control. Broadband and access to healthcare in rural communities are program priorities.

Alaska Health Care Professionals Workforce Enhancement Program (SHARP – 3)
Direct incentive payments and loan repayment assistance for a wide range of healthcare professionals in exchange for working in an underserved area or with underserved populations in Alaska.

Rural Emergency Medical Communications Demonstration Project
Funding for a single entity to examine communications barriers and identify solutions that enhance existing emergency communications infrastructure to improve the delivery of rural medical care and address implementation gaps in the National Emergency Communications Plan.

Opioid Crisis Innovation Challenge
Funding for projects that bring an innovative approach to long-standing and complex issues related to the nation's opioid crisis. According to the funder, projects should "explore and/or evaluate new outside-the-box ideas, bring together approaches from several diverse fields, and engage multi-disciplinary, cross-sector teams to reduce overdoses, increase access to treatment, and support long-term recovery." Applications that address rural and underserved populations are encouraged.

Rural Housing Preservation Grants (Section 533)
Grants to organizations that work to rehabilitate and preserve affordable housing for rural, low-income homeowners and renters.

Rural Hospital Stabilization Pilot Program
Funding for a single entity to provide in-depth technical assistance to rural hospitals to enhance and/or expand service lines to meet local need and keep healthcare services available locally.

Nurse Education, Practice, Quality and Retention (NEPQR) - Workforce Expansion Program (WEP)
Funding to increase the nursing workforce in rural and underserved areas to address the critical shortage of nurses, specifically in acute and long-term care settings. The program aims to enhance nursing education and clinical practice to expand the workforce and improve retention.