Rural Residency Planning and Development Program
This grant provides start-up funds to create accredited rural physician residency programs in select specialties to increase healthcare access and address doctor shortages in rural areas.
Funder: Health Resources and Services Administration
Due Dates (Anticipated): June 2026 (Full application deadline)
Funding Amounts: Up to $750,000 per award; approximately $11.25 million total funding; ~15 awards expected.
Summary: Supports the development of new, accredited rural physician residency programs to expand rural health care access and address physician shortages.
Key Information: This is a forecasted opportunity; all dates are projected and may change.
Description
The Rural Residency Planning and Development (RRPD) program aims to improve and expand access to rural health care by supporting the creation of new, accredited, and sustainable rural residency programs, including rural track programs (RTPs). These programs are designed to increase physician training and retention in rural communities, addressing critical physician shortages. The RRPD program provides start-up funding for the development of new rural residency programs in specific medical specialties, with an expectation that long-term sustainability will be achieved through stable funding sources such as Medicare, Medicaid, or other public/private funding.
Eligible specialties for this program include:
- Family medicine
- Internal medicine
- Preventive medicine
- Psychiatry
- General surgery
- Obstetrics and gynecology
To qualify, rural residency programs must:
- Be accredited physician residency programs
- Train residents at clinical sites located in rural areas (as defined by HRSA’s Federal Office of Rural Health Policy) for more than 50% of the residency duration
- Focus on preparing physicians for practice in rural communities
