Opportunity Information: Apply for HRSA 15 136
Apply for HRSA 15 136
- The Health Resources and Services Administration in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Rural Recruitment and Retention Analysis Cooperative Agreement" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.155 Rural Health Research Centers.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jan 8, 2015 and posted on Jan 8, 2015.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Mar 9, 2015. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $300,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Private institutions of higher education Public and State controlled institutions of higher education State governments Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments) Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification) Special district governments City or township governments Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized) County governments Independent school districts Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education.
- Eligible applicants include public, private and nonprofit entities. Faith based and community based organizations, Tribes, and tribal organizations are eligible to apply.
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Opportunity Summary:
The Rural Recruitment and Retention Analysis Cooperative Agreement (HRSA-15-136) is a discretionary funding opportunity from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), offered through the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy. Its central aim is to take a hard, practical look at how rural communities across the United States recruit and keep the health care workforce they need, then turn those findings into usable guidance for rural leaders and policymakers. The agreement is designed to cover multiple parts of the rural health delivery system, including primary care, behavioral health, oral health, and allied health professionals, while also explicitly recognizing that leadership roles like Rural Health Network Directors and Rural Telehealth Network Directors face their own recruitment and retention pressures and need attention as well. The larger policy backdrop is an evolving health care system, including the post-Affordable Care Act environment, where expanded coverage can increase demand for services and strain already-limited rural staffing pipelines.
Because this is a cooperative agreement rather than a standard grant, the recipient is expected to work in an ongoing, collaborative partnership with HRSA, particularly the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy. That means HRSA is not only providing funding but also participating in shaping priorities, selecting and refining project elements, and guiding the development and execution of the work plan. The end product is meant to be more than a static report. HRSA describes the vision as a centralized, evidence-based, one-stop information portal that rural communities and other stakeholders can use to find programs, tools, best practices, and research in one place, with an emphasis on making recruitment and retention approaches easier to plan and implement.
The work itself centers on a comprehensive inventory and analysis of recruitment and retention strategies already in use. The awardee is expected to develop a narrative report that maps what is being done nationally and at the state level, while also examining health system and individual provider initiatives. A major component is identifying the tools and approaches currently used in the field and analyzing real-world considerations like typical recruitment costs and common retention activities. The announcement calls out the need to highlight rural challenges that have become more pronounced or have changed in the wake of the Affordable Care Act, especially as they relate to clinical practice realities, telehealth expansion, and the growth and functioning of rural health networks.
To ground the inventory in what is actually happening on the ground, the awardee is expected to work with appropriate state-level experts to understand the current state of practice, emerging challenges, and trends that may shape future policy and program needs. The goal is not simply to list programs but to determine what is working, why it is working, and what those successful efforts have in common. Just as importantly, the project is expected to identify what does not work, and where the evidence is thin or inconclusive, so rural decision-makers are not forced to rely on guesswork or marketing claims. This practical emphasis is reinforced by the requirement to identify gaps between existing resources and the needs rural communities face, and then propose potential responses that could realistically reduce those gaps.
The announcement is specific about certain programs and resources that should be reviewed as part of the landscape analysis. Examples include the National Health Service Corps, Area Health Education Centers (AHECs), the Conrad State 30 J-1 Visa Waiver Program, 3RNet (National Rural Recruitment and Retention Network), the National Cooperative of Health Networks Association (NCHN), and activities associated with State Offices of Rural Health (SORH) and State Rural Health Associations (SRHA). It also points to tracking tools and platforms such as TruServe and Practice Sights, the Community Apgar Program, and other software or commercial products identified during the work. This list signals that HRSA expects the awardee to bridge workforce policy programs, recruitment marketing and placement tools, and community readiness or assessment models into a single coherent picture, rather than treating them as separate worlds.
Equity and role-specific workforce challenges are also built into the required scope. The awardee must analyze health workforce needs in communities of color, acknowledging that recruitment and retention challenges can be especially acute in these communities, and emphasizing strategies that can help them identify and apply approaches that fit their context. In addition, the project must assess whether and how the distinct recruitment and retention issues affecting Rural Health Network Directors and Rural Telehealth Network Directors are being addressed, which elevates operational and leadership workforce issues alongside clinical staffing.
Ultimately, the cooperative agreement is meant to produce actionable findings that can be communicated to rural stakeholders and policymakers, with recommendations that emphasize sustainability and more efficient use of resources. The emphasis is on helping rural communities connect to and navigate existing national and state resources, rather than reinventing the wheel in every location, while still being clear about where the wheel is missing or broken. In practical terms, the expected deliverables revolve around synthesizing evidence, elevating proven models, identifying gaps, and translating all of it into a centralized resource that supports better, faster decision-making on rural workforce recruitment and retention.
From an administrative standpoint, HRSA anticipated making one award under this opportunity, with an estimated total funding amount of $300,000. There was no cost sharing or matching requirement. The opportunity was posted January 8, 2015, with an application closing date of March 9, 2015, and it was archived May 8, 2015. Eligible applicants were broadly defined and included public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations (including 501(c)(3)s), state and local governments, special district governments, independent school districts, and Tribal governments and organizations, including federally recognized Tribes. Faith-based and community-based organizations were also eligible, reflecting HRSA's intent to allow a wide range of capable entities to compete, as long as they can credibly perform a nationwide scan, engage state-level experts, and produce a rigorous, usable set of outputs for rural workforce stakeholders.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): Rural Recruitment and Retention Analysis Cooperative Agreement (HRSA-15-136)
What is HRSA-15-136?
HRSA-15-136 is the Rural Recruitment and Retention Analysis Cooperative Agreement, a discretionary funding opportunity from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) offered through the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy.
What is the main purpose of this cooperative agreement?
The purpose is to conduct a practical, evidence-based analysis of how rural communities across the United States recruit and retain the health care workforce they need, and to translate those findings into usable guidance for rural leaders and policymakers.
Why does the opportunity emphasize recruitment and retention in rural areas?
The opportunity is framed by an evolving health care system, including the post-Affordable Care Act environment, where expanded coverage can increase demand for services and further strain already-limited rural staffing pipelines.
Is this a standard grant or something different?
This is a cooperative agreement, meaning the recipient is expected to work in an ongoing, collaborative partnership with HRSA, particularly the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy. HRSA is expected to participate in shaping priorities, selecting and refining project elements, and guiding the work plan.
How is a cooperative agreement different from a typical grant in this program?
Based on the description provided, HRSA is not only funding the work but also actively collaborating throughout the project, including helping shape priorities and guiding development and execution of the work plan. The relationship is described as more hands-on than a standard grant.
What types of health professionals are included in the scope?
The scope explicitly includes multiple parts of the rural health delivery system: primary care, behavioral health, oral health, and allied health professionals.
Are non-clinical or leadership roles included in the analysis?
Yes. The opportunity explicitly recognizes recruitment and retention pressures affecting Rural Health Network Directors and Rural Telehealth Network Directors and requires attention to these roles.
What are the major activities the awardee is expected to perform?
The awardee is expected to conduct a comprehensive inventory and analysis of recruitment and retention strategies in use nationally and at the state level, including health system and individual provider initiatives, and to examine tools, approaches, costs, and common retention activities.
What kind of report or written deliverable is expected?
The awardee is expected to develop a narrative report that maps what is being done nationally and at the state level, while examining initiatives at the health system and individual provider levels.
Is the end product intended to be more than a report?
Yes. HRSA describes the vision as a centralized, evidence-based, one-stop information portal where rural communities and other stakeholders can find programs, tools, best practices, and research in one place.
What is the goal of creating a centralized portal?
The portal is meant to make recruitment and retention approaches easier to plan and implement by consolidating evidence-based resources and guidance for rural communities and stakeholders.
Does the project focus only on listing existing programs?
No. The project is expected to determine what is working, why it is working, what successful efforts have in common, what does not work, and where evidence is thin or inconclusive.
Will the analysis include information about costs and practical considerations?
Yes. The announcement calls for analyzing real-world considerations such as typical recruitment costs and common retention activities.
How does telehealth fit into the required analysis?
The announcement highlights rural challenges that have become more pronounced or changed in the wake of the Affordable Care Act, including issues related to telehealth expansion and the growth and functioning of rural health networks.
Is engagement with state-level experts part of the expected work?
Yes. The awardee is expected to work with appropriate state-level experts to understand current state of practice, emerging challenges, and trends that may shape future policy and program needs.
What is meant by identifying gaps and proposing responses?
The project must identify gaps between existing resources and rural community needs, then propose potential responses that could realistically reduce those gaps.
Which specific programs and resources are explicitly called out for review?
The opportunity specifically mentions reviewing programs and resources such as the National Health Service Corps, Area Health Education Centers (AHECs), the Conrad State 30 J-1 Visa Waiver Program, 3RNet, the National Cooperative of Health Networks Association (NCHN), and activities associated with State Offices of Rural Health (SORH) and State Rural Health Associations (SRHA).
Are recruitment platforms, tools, or commercial products included?
Yes. The announcement points to tracking tools and platforms such as TruServe and Practice Sights, the Community Apgar Program, and other software or commercial products identified during the work.
Does the opportunity address equity or community-specific workforce needs?
Yes. The awardee must analyze health workforce needs in communities of color and emphasize strategies that can help these communities identify and apply approaches that fit their context.
What is expected regarding evidence quality and avoiding unreliable claims?
The project is expected to identify where evidence is thin or inconclusive so rural decision-makers are not forced to rely on guesswork or marketing claims.
What kind of recommendations are expected at the end of the project?
The cooperative agreement is meant to produce actionable findings and recommendations emphasizing sustainability and more efficient use of resources, helping rural communities connect to and navigate existing national and state resources while clearly identifying where gaps remain.
How many awards did HRSA anticipate making?
HRSA anticipated making one award under this opportunity.
What was the estimated total funding amount?
The estimated total funding amount was $300,000.
Was cost sharing or a match required?
No. The opportunity stated there was no cost sharing or matching requirement.
When was the opportunity posted and when did it close?
The opportunity was posted on January 8, 2015, and the application closing date was March 9, 2015.
Is this opportunity still open?
No. The listing was archived on May 8, 2015.
Who was eligible to apply?
Eligible applicants included public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations (including 501(c)(3)s), state and local governments, special district governments, independent school districts, and Tribal governments and organizations, including federally recognized Tribes.
Were faith-based or community-based organizations eligible?
Yes. Faith-based and community-based organizations were also eligible.
What capabilities did applicants need to credibly compete?
Based on the description, applicants needed the capacity to perform a nationwide scan, engage state-level experts, and produce rigorous and usable outputs for rural workforce stakeholders.
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