Skip to main content
Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Funding by Topic: Health disparities

Summaries of funding programs are provided by RHIhub for your convenience. Please contact the funder directly for the most complete and current information.

Technologies for Improving Minority Health and Eliminating Health Disparities (R41/R42- Clinical Trial Optional)
Funding for small businesses to develop products, processes, and services that can be used to improve minority health and/or reduce and ultimately eliminate health disparities. Technologies should be effective, affordable, and culturally acceptable.
Geographic coverage: Nationwide
Letter of Intent (Optional): Nov 9, 2026
Application Deadline: Dec 9, 2026
Sponsors: National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
National Network of Libraries of Medicine Region 3 Grants
Funding for projects in Region 3 that improve health literacy; increase the ability of the general public to find and use health information; and improve health professionals' access to, awareness of, and skills for locating high quality biomedical and health information. NNLM lists rural health as a priority on their initiatives page.
Geographic coverage: NLM Region 3 states including Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas
Application Deadline: Mar 1, 2027
Sponsors: National Institutes of Health, Network of the National Library of Medicine, U.S. National Library of Medicine
Advancing Healthcare for Older Adults from Populations that Experience Health Disparities (R01 - Clinical Trial Optional)
Funding for innovative, multi-level healthcare research for older adults from populations that experience health disparities. Rural populations are considered a disparity population.
Geographic coverage: Nationwide and U.S. Territories
Application Deadline: Jan 8, 2028
Sponsors: National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
The Role of Work in Health Disparities in the U.S. (R01 Clinical Trials Optional)
Grants for innovative population-based research in how work or occupation influences health outcomes and health status among health disparity populations and how work functions as a social determinant of health.
Geographic coverage: Nationwide and U.S. Territories
Application Deadline: Jan 8, 2028
Sponsors: National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
AHRQ Health Services Research Demonstration and Dissemination Grants (R18)
Supports the dissemination and implementation of research projects related to AHRQ's mission to produce evidence to make healthcare safer, higher quality, more accessible, equitable, and affordable. AHRQ's priorities include an interest in frontier and rural healthcare delivery.
Geographic coverage: Nationwide and U.S. territories
Application Deadline: May 26, 2029
Sponsors: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
AHRQ Health Services Research Projects (R01)
Support for specified health services research projects related to AHRQ's mission to produce evidence to make healthcare safer, higher quality, more accessible, equitable, and affordable. AHRQ's priorities include an interest in rural and frontier healthcare delivery.
Geographic coverage: Nationwide and U.S. territories
Application Deadline: Jul 6, 2029
Sponsors: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
AHRQ Small Health Services Research Grant Program (R03)
Supports different types of health services research projects, including pilot and feasibility studies; secondary analysis of existing data; small, self-contained research projects; development of research methodology; and development of new research technology. Rural and frontier areas are considered a priority population.
Geographic coverage: Nationwide and U.S. territories
Application Deadline: Jul 17, 2029
Sponsors: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Research to Advance the Science of Primary Care (R01)
Funding to support research projects that advance the understanding of the role, capacity, and value of primary care to improve patient outcomes and population health.
Geographic coverage: Nationwide and U.S. territories
Application Deadline: Nov 6, 2029
Sponsors: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
California Health Care Foundation Unsolicited Proposals
Accepts unsolicited funding requests from organizations working to improve healthcare access, affordability, workforce, and Medi-Cal in California.
Geographic coverage: California
Applications accepted on an ongoing basis
Sponsor: California Health Care Foundation
CareQuest Philanthropy: Grants in Oral Health
Funding for projects that promote access to the oral health system. Priority populations include rural communities, people with disabilities, and older adults, among others.
Geographic coverage: Nationwide
Applications accepted on an ongoing basis
Sponsor: CareQuest Institute for Oral Health