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Rural Health Information Hub

Conducting Rural Health Research, Needs Assessments, and Program Evaluations – Funding & Opportunities

For additional funding options, please see RHIhub's Online Library: Funding & Opportunities

Native American Research Centers for Health (NARCH) Planning Grants (R34 - Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
Funding to support federally recognized American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) tribes, tribal colleges and universities, tribal health programs, or tribal organizations to plan and conduct preparatory work for developing competitive NARCH applications.
Geographic coverage: Nationwide
Application Deadline: Jul 9, 2026
Sponsor: National Institutes of Health
Notice of Special Interest (NOSI): Interventions to Promote Mental Well-Being in Populations that Experience Health Disparities through Social, Cultural, and Environmental Connectedness
Notice of Special Interest for research on intervention projects to promote mental well-being and/or prevent mental health problems by fostering social, cultural, or environmental connectedness in one or more populations that experience health disparities.
Geographic coverage: Nationwide and U.S. Territories
Application Deadline: Sep 8, 2026
Sponsors: National Institute of Mental Health, National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, National Institutes of Health
Training Program for Institutions That Promote Diversity (T32 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
Funding to support training of predoctoral, health professional students, and individuals in postdoctoral training at institutions with a documented historical institutional mission focused on educating underrepresented students and/or institutions that provide clinical services to populations that experience health disparities, with the potential to develop meritorious training programs in cardiovascular, pulmonary, and hematologic diseases, and sleep disorders.
Geographic coverage: Nationwide
Application Deadline: Sep 14, 2026
Sponsors: National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Notice of Special Interest (NOSI): Assessing Real-World Effectiveness and Implementation of Telehealth-Guided Provider-to-Provider Communication among Rural Communities
Notice of Special Interest for research that generates evidence on the real-world effectiveness of telehealth collaboration among healthcare providers for consultation, second opinions, and other purposes, referred to as provider-to-provider telehealth (PPT). PPT offers remote access to critical health expertise that might not exist locally in some rural communities.
Geographic coverage: Nationwide and U.S. Territories
Application Deadline: Oct 10, 2026
Sponsors: National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health
Community Level Interventions to Improve Minority Health and Reduce Health Disparities (R01 - Clinical Trial Optional)
Funding for research to develop and test community-level interventions to improve minority health and reduce health disparities. Populations of focus include American Indians, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, socioeconomically disadvantaged populations, and underserved rural populations, among others.
Geographic coverage: Nationwide and U.S. Territories
Application Deadline: Jan 8, 2027
Sponsors: National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Notice of Special Interest (NOSI): Data Informed, Place-Based Community-Engaged Research to Advance Health Equity
Notice of Special Interest for community-engaged research that leverages geospatial data to probe the influence of geographic factors on disease development and health outcomes. The program goal is to use place-based research to help advance health equity in different communities, including rural communities.
Geographic coverage: Nationwide and U.S. Territories
Application Deadline: Jan 8, 2027
Sponsors: National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, National Institutes of Health
Understanding the Impact of Healthcare System and Clinician Factors on Disparities in Maternal Morbidity and Mortality (R01 - Clinical Trial Optional)
Funding for multidisciplinary and innovative intervention research to understand and address maternal morbidity and mortality in the United States.
Geographic coverage: Nationwide and U.S. Territories
Application Deadline: Jan 8, 2027
Sponsors: National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, National Institutes of Health
AHRQ Small Research Projects to Advance the Science of Primary Care (R01 and R03)
Funding to support small research projects that advance the role and capacity of primary care to increase the value and quality of care and improve patient outcomes and population health. Rural populations are among the priority populations.
Geographic coverage: Nationwide and U.S. territories
Application Deadline: Mar 19, 2027
Sponsors: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Notice of Special Interest (NOSI): Analysis of Existing Linked Datasets to Understand the Relationship between Housing Program Participation and Risk for Chronic Diseases and Other Conditions (R01-Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
Notice of Special Interest for research that evaluates the effects of housing program participation on risk for chronic diseases and conditions. Research in rural areas is encouraged.
Geographic coverage: Nationwide and U.S. Territories
Application Deadline: Sep 8, 2027
Sponsors: National Cancer Institute, National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, National Institutes of Health
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.
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

Last Updated: 2/13/2025