Grant opportunities launching soon—applicants urged to prepare
North Dakota is on the front edge of a major health transformation effort supported by new federal funding over the next five years. The first grants under the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) are expected to open soon, with an initial opportunity to support rural and tribal provider retention anticipated in early to mid-March.
The North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services (ND HHS) encourages health care organizations, schools, community partners and others to prepare now. Year-one funds must be obligated by Oct. 30, 2026, and fully spent by Sept. 30, 2027, leaving a short window to plan and implement projects.
A Federal Boost for Rural Health
Approved under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (Section 71401), the federal government allocated $50 billion nationwide from 2026 to 2030 to improve rural health access and quality. North Dakota’s approved first-year budget includes $194.8 million, with an additional $4.1 million under review.
Over five years, the state is expected to receive more funding to support efforts to expand care access, strengthen the workforce, and modernize rural health infrastructure.
Four Key Areas of Investment
North Dakota’s RHTP outlines a statewide roadmap to stabilize, sustain, and modernize health care—particularly for tribal, frontier, and other rural communities. Funding will drive progress across four main focus areas (the dollar amount is a total for five years:
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Strengthen and Stabilize the Health Care Workforce – $162.4M
Build “grow-your-own” pipelines, expand residencies, and enhance recruitment and training for a high-skilled rural workforce. -
Make North Dakota Healthy Again – $85.9M
Promote community health initiatives like Eat Well ND and ND Moves Together, tackling nutrition, activity, and chronic disease prevention. -
Bring High-Quality Care Closer to Home – $583.8M
Expand telehealth, mobile clinics, remote patient monitoring, and care coordination to ensure access to care across the state. -
Connect Tech, Data, and Providers – $168M
Modernize technology and data sharing infrastructure to create efficiencies and strengthen collaboration among providers.
Be Ready to Apply
Early opportunities will prioritize existing partnerships and infrastructure to accelerate impact. Several grant announcements are expected in the coming weeks.
All funding announcements and program updates will be posted on the Rural Health Transformation Program webpage. Applicants are encouraged to check regularly for news, guidance, and deadlines.