Many federal agencies offer grants and funding opportunities to strengthen the security, accessibility, and effectiveness of telehealth programs. Healthcare providers must use these opportunities and ensure they meet the necessary requirements to improve their cybersecurity measures and protect patient data.
The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) is committed to improving healthcare access in rural and underserved communities. Several HRSA-funded programs are working to expand telehealth services and provide high-quality care to rural and underserved populations.
Several HRSA-funded programs focus on telehealth initiatives that integrate cybersecurity measures.
The EBTNP supports projects that use telehealth technologies to deliver behavioral health care, particularly in rural and underserved communities. According to the HRSA, the program “supports the integration of telehealth in mental health care, ensuring that patient data remains protected and secure.”
Eligible applicants include rural health clinics, community health centers, hospitals, non-profit organizations, and other healthcare providers specializing in behavioral health.
Additionally, “faith-based, community-based organizations and tribal organizations are eligible to apply. Services must be provided to rural areas, although the applicant can be located in an urban area.”
Prospective applicants can contact Carlos Mena at cmena@hrsa.gov or (301)443-3198 for further information.
The TNGP helps healthcare providers enhance tele-emergency services such as tele-stroke, tele-behavioral health, and tele-EMS in rural communities. TNGP enables rural providers to access 24-hour Emergency Department (ED) consultations, defining tele-emergency as "an electronic, two-way, audio/visual communication service between a central emergency healthcare center and a remote ED” for remote consultations. These include patient assessments, interpretation of clinical data, supervision of treatments, and coordination of patient transfers.
TNGP’s goals include expanding healthcare access, improving provider training, and enhancing health information for better decision-making.
Eligible applicants include nonprofits, state and local governments, and healthcare facilities offering telehealth services. These applicants can also contact Carlos Mena for more information.
The Telehealth Rapid Response Center Grant funds research to analyze telehealth policies, disparities, and access for underserved populations in the United States. The initiative gives providers insights into the impact of telehealth policies, regulations, and service availability while addressing disparities in healthcare access.
The total funding allocated for this program is $950,000, with a single award expected. The maximum amount an applicant can receive is $950,000, without minimum funding requirements.
Eligible applicants include government entities, public and private higher education institutions, nonprofits, tribal entities, and independent school districts, for-profit organizations (including small businesses).
Applications must be submitted before April 15, 2025, and cost-sharing or matching funds are not required for eligibility. For further details, applicants can contact Stephanie Miller at smiller3@hrsa.gov or call (301) 443-3348.
This HRSA initiative designates academic medical centers as Telehealth Centers of Excellence to promote research and innovation in telehealth technologies, particularly in rural areas. According to the program, the centers "provide telehealth services in medically underserved areas with high chronic disease and high poverty rates."
The initiative supports two public academic medical centers with successful telehealth programs, a high volume of annual telehealth visits, and a reimbursement structure that maintains financial sustainability.
For more information, you can contact LCDR Jenna Cope at JCope@hrsa.gov or 301-443-5503. The program cycle runs from September 30, 2021, to September 29, 2026.
The National Telehealth Resource Center (NTRC) Program is part of a broader HRSA initiative that includes the Regional Telehealth Resource Center (RTRC) Program and the National Telehealth Resource Center (NTRC) Program.
The grant provides funding to support telehealth implementation and training for healthcare organizations, networks, and providers. The funding will help organizations develop and expand telehealth resources so healthcare providers can better integrate telehealth into their services.
The total funding available for this program is $650,000, with two awards expected. The application deadline is April 14, 2025. The funding will be provided as a cooperative agreement, where recipients will work closely with the HRSA to achieve program objectives.
Government entities, public and private higher education institutions, nonprofits, Native American tribal organizations, independent school districts, and for-profit organizations (including small businesses) are encouraged to apply. Additionally, no cost-sharing or matching funds are required for eligibility.
Applicants can contact Sophia Rhoades at srhoades1@hrsa.gov or call (301) 945-5215 for more details.
The Regional Telehealth Resource Centers (RTRCs) Program provides funding to help healthcare organizations, networks, and providers implement and expand telehealth services. The initiative targets rural areas, frontier communities, and medically underserved populations, offering technical assistance and training to support telehealth integration.
The total funding available for this program is $3.9 million, with 12 awards expected. The application deadline is April 14, 2025. As with the NTRC, funding will be issued as a cooperative agreement, so recipients will collaborate with the HRSA to meet program objectives.
Eligibility requirements are the same as that for the NRTC Program and applicants can also contact Sophia Rhoades for further information.
The Scalable Solutions Office (SSO) funding opportunity from the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) improves healthcare accessibility, affordability, and scalability.
The SSO “seeks solutions to improve the scalability and affordability of health care solutions, bridge gaps in underserved areas, and extend remote access to expertise by developing location-specific interventions, telemedicine solutions, and mobile health clinics. Solutions should focus on rapid innovation and the use of partnerships, as well as flexible distribution networks and streamlined manufacturing processes.”
The SSO supports the following initiatives:
Overall, disease-agnostic solutions are prioritized, with special consideration for cancer, diabetes, neurological diseases, maternal health, infectious diseases, and cardiovascular conditions. However, clinical trial funding, policy changes, traditional education, and infrastructure projects are not eligible.
The application deadline is March 14, 2025, with 100 awards expected. Funding will be provided through cooperative agreements and other mechanisms.
Eligible applicants include public and private higher educational institutions, nonprofits (including small businesses), and non-federally recognized Native American entities. No cost-sharing or matching funds are required. For more details, applicants can contact Mark Baxter at 301-827-4852.
The FCC Rural Health Care Program provides funding to support telecommunications and broadband infrastructure for telehealth operations. It consists of two funding initiatives, including the Healthcare Connect Fund Program (est. 2012) and the Telecommunications Program (est. 1997).
“The goal of the program is to improve the quality of health care available to patients in rural communities by ensuring that eligible health care providers have access to telecommunications and broadband services.”
Healthcare providers must be nonprofit or public and fall into one of the following categories:
The program has an annual funding cap of $571 million (adjusted for inflation). Eligible rural healthcare providers receive a 65% flat discount on telecommunications services such as internet access, dark fiber, DSL, business data, and private carriage services.
For more information, please see their Frequently Asked Questions page.
The USDA’s DLT grants are a “competitive program [that] helps rural communities use advanced telecommunications technology to connect to each other - and the world - overcoming the effects of remoteness and low population density.”
It specifically offers funding for telemedicine equipment, software, and broadband services for telehealth programs in rural areas.
For both programs, eligible applicants include most entities that provide education or health care through telecommunications, including state and local governmental organizations, federally recognized tribes, nonprofits, incorporated for-profit businesses, and groups of eligible entities working.
The DLT program is targeted to rural areas with populations of 20,000 or less. Awards range from $50,000 to $1 million, with a minimum 15% match required, and this match cannot come from another federal source.
For more information, applicants must use the Contact Us Form and select "Distance Learning & Telemedicine Program" as the subject. They can also contact a General Field Representative (GFR) for more information.
The SLCGP is administered by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and “provides funding to eligible entities to address cybersecurity risks and threats to information systems owned or operated by, or on behalf of, state, local, or tribal governments.”
These funds support states and territories in strengthening their cybersecurity, which directly benefits rural healthcare providers by improving the security of telehealth systems.
Only State Administrative Agencies (SAAs) from states and territories can apply. However, they can collaborate with other entities (such as local governments or healthcare providers) to submit joint applications, provided each entity submits a separate proposal.
The allocation formula for these grants is outlined in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and includes a "base level of funding for each state and territory." Additional funds are allocated based on "total population and rural population," so rural communities receive a fair share of the funding.
Interested applicants should contact their applicable SAA here.
Funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), this program supports research on how Health IT can reduce healthcare disparities, improve patient-clinician communication, and enhance access to care for underserved populations while protecting patient privacy.
The funding opportunity (PAR-22-145) falls under the education and health categories, with application deadlines on February 24, 2025 (current) and May 7, 2025 (original).
Eligible applicants include:
Additional eligible entities:
According to their website, total funding varies and no cost-sharing or matching is required. Applicants must submit their research proposals through NIH eRA Commons. They should also examine how Health IT can improve healthcare access and outcomes for minority and underserved populations.
Questions can be directed to the NIH OER Webmaster at OERWebmaster03@od.nih.gov or found in Section VII of the full funding announcement.
A well-prepared application increases the chances of securing a grant for telehealth, Health IT, biomanufacturing, and scalable healthcare solutions. Healthcare providers must follow these steps when applying for the abovementioned grants.
Each grant has specific eligibility requirements. Before starting an application, the applicants must confirm that their organization meets the criteria.
For example, when applying for the USDA DLT grant, the healthcare organization must serve rural populations of less than 20,000 individuals. The organization should also be prepared to offer a 15% minimum funding match.
Healthcare organizations must carefully read the official grant announcement, which outlines funding priorities, application instructions, deadlines, and evaluation criteria. They should also pay close attention to:
For example, the USDA DLT Grants prioritize projects that enhance remote education and healthcare access in rural areas, while NIH Health IT grants focus on using technology to reduce healthcare disparities.
This information is usually available on agency websites like grants.gov or the USDA, NIH, and HRSA portals.
Most grant applications require extensive documentation, so providers must collect the following before starting:
For instance, a rural healthcare clinic applying for a USDA DLT Grant might include data on physician shortages and how telemedicine could alleviate this issue. On the other hand, a community health center looking for HRSA funding could provide statistics on local healthcare disparities and how their initiative will address them.
Each grant program requires registration in specific online portals:
Registration can take time, so a good tip would be to start in advance to avoid last-minute issues.
A well-structured proposal should include:
Since late submissions are not considered, applicants must double-check all application materials, ensure all required attachments are included, and confirm submission in the designated portal.
Moreover, missing a submission deadline could result in having to wait another year for the next funding cycle.
After submission, applicants must:
If awarded funding, organizations must:
Failure to comply with grant requirements can impact future funding opportunities.
Applying for grants requires time and careful preparation. Understanding eligibility, gathering the right documents, and submitting a strong proposal can improve the chances of securing funding.
Organizations interested in telehealth, cybersecurity, Health IT research, biomanufacturing, and scalable healthcare solutions should review funding announcements regularly and start the application process early. Once awarded, these organizations must comply with reporting requirements, data security protocols, and budget guidelines.
They can incorporate security measures like multi-factor authentication, regular audits, employee training, and advanced encryption to protect patient data and uphold federal laws like the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).
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