[Health Resources and Services Administration](https://www.hrsa.gov)

May 2026

$750,000 maximum per award; estimated $11,250,000 total program funding; approx. 15 awards; typically up to 3 years.

Supports the development of new, accredited, sustainable rural physician residency programs to address rural healthcare access and physician shortages.

--- ## Description The Rural Residency Planning and Development (RRPD) program is designed to improve and expand access to health care in rural areas by supporting the creation of new, accredited, and sustainable rural physician residency programs, including rural track programs (RTPs). The program aims to increase the number of physicians trained and ultimately practicing in rural communities, thereby addressing critical physician shortages. Start-up funding is provided to help establish residency programs in qualifying medical specialties, with an expectation that long-term sustainability will be achieved through stable sources such as Medicare, Medicaid, or other public/private funding. Qualifying medical specialties include: - Family medicine - Internal medicine - Preventive medicine - Psychiatry - General surgery - Obstetrics and gynecology Eligible rural residency programs must: - Be accredited physician residency programs - Train residents in clinical sites located in rural areas (as defined by HRSA’s Federal Office of Rural Health Policy) for more than 50% of their residency - Focus on preparing physicians to practice in rural communities --- ## Due Dates - May 2026 (anticipated/projected; electronic submission due by 11:59 p.m. ET) *All dates are projected based on the annual cycle; check the program page for updates.* --- ## Funding Amount - Maximum award: $750,000 per project - Estimated total program funding: $11,250,000 - Approximate number of awards: 15 - Typical project duration: Up to 3 years --- ## Eligibility Eligible applicants include: - State, county, city/township, and special district governments - Independent school districts - Public, state-controlled, and private institutions of higher education - Native American tribal governments (federally recognized and other tribal organizations) - Nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education) - For-profit organizations (including small businesses) - Other domestic organizations as defined by HRSA **Note:** Only domestic organizations are eligible, defined as those within the 50 U.S. states, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, Guam, U.S. Virgin Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Republic of the Marshall Islands, and Republic of Palau. --- ## Application Process - Applications must be submitted electronically by the anticipated due date. - No cost sharing or matching is required. - Applicants should ensure their proposed rural residency programs meet the accreditation and rural training requirements as outlined by HRSA. --- ## Additional Information - Long-term program sustainability must be supported by stable funding sources such as Medicare, Medicaid, or other public/private sources. - For rural eligibility definitions, see [HRSA’s Federal Office of Rural Health Policy](https://data.hrsa.gov/topics/rural-health/rural-health-eligibility). --- ## External Links - [Program Forecast on Grants.gov](https://www.grants.gov/search-results-detail/360998) - [Health Resources and Services Administration](https://www.hrsa.gov) - [HRSA Rural Health Eligibility Tool](https://data.hrsa.gov/topics/rural-health/rural-health-eligibility) --- ## Contact Information | Name/Role | Email | Phone | |----------------|------------------------------------------|---------------| | Jason Steele | [ruralresidency@hrsa.gov](mailto:ruralresidency@hrsa.gov) | (301) 443-2203 | | General HRSA | [press@hrsa.gov](mailto:press@hrsa.gov) | (800) 221-9393 |

Rural Residency Planning and Development Program

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