RISE Initiative 2.3: Grow Our Own Rural Health Pipeline
RISE Initiative 2.3: Grow Our Own Rural Health Pipeline supports rural Utah residents through healthcare career exposure and credential pathways to build a local healthcare workforce.
Funder: Utah Department of Health and Human Services
Due Dates: September 11, 2026 (Applications open) | September 18, 2026 (Written questions) | October 29, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. MDT (Application deadline)
Funding Amounts: Up to $4,000,000 for Year 1; up to $20,000,000 total anticipated award
Summary: Supports community-based healthcare career exposure and credential pathways that connect rural Utah residents with local healthcare employment.
Key Information: A consortium must include a healthcare education partner and a rural healthcare employer/provider committing to employment or clinical placements.
Description
This initiative supports community-based programs that introduce healthcare careers at the K–12 level and establish structured pathways from high school to a healthcare certification, credential, or degree. Funded by the Utah Department of Health and Human Services and administered by the Utah Board of Higher Education, Talent Ready Utah, it forms part of Utah’s Rural Health Transformation Program.
The goal is to build a sustainable rural healthcare workforce by helping residents enter healthcare careers, earn credentials, and find employment without leaving their communities. Programs must advance at least one objective: building rural health career pipelines, making healthcare credentials accessible, connecting completers to rural employment, strengthening workforce infrastructure, or serving high-needs populations or Tribal Nations. Activities must serve individuals residing or attending school in rural Utah, including Tribal Nations and tribal communities.
