Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education (THCGME) Program

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), through its Bureau of Health Workforce and the Division of Medicine and Dentistry, has announced the Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education (THCGME) Program under opportunity number HRSA-26-011. This funding opportunity continues HRSA’s mission of strengthening the healthcare workforce by supporting community-based training of residents in primary care medical and dental programs. The program is federally supported under the Federal Assistance Listing 93.530, with the notice of funding opportunity issued on September 18, 2025. The purpose is to ensure the continued training of residents in existing primary care residency programs within community-based ambulatory care centers, particularly those addressing the needs of rural and underserved communities. The THCGME program provides continuation awards specifically for current recipients funded under HRSA-22-105 and HRSA-22-139. Eligible applicants are those with existing HRSA-supported residency positions that are completing their current period of performance on June 30, 2026. Successful applicants under this new notice will extend their funding for an additional three years, through June 30, 2029. This program is restricted to supporting only previously approved Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) resident positions. Requests for funding to establish new positions or expand current capacity will not be considered. Funding under this program may be used for both direct and indirect costs of training residents. Direct costs include those associated with sponsoring graduate medical education programs, while indirect costs cover the additional expenses of teaching residents. HRSA anticipates providing a formula-based interim payment of $160,000 per resident FTE in FY 2026, though this may change in subsequent years depending on appropriations and methodology updates. The total estimated funding available for FY 2026 is $47.6 million, with approximately 43 awards expected. Each award may range between $160,000 and $3,840,000, depending on the number of approved resident positions maintained by the applicant. Applicants must demonstrate continued accreditation by an appropriate accrediting body such as the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) or the American Dental Association’s Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA). Eligible disciplines include family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, combined internal medicine-pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, psychiatry, general dentistry, pediatric dentistry, and geriatrics. Applications will not be accepted from organizations lacking accreditation by the start date of July 1, 2026, or those proposing residency programs outside the eligible fields. Applications must also be complete, timely, and adhere to HRSA’s required formats, including submission of all required attachments such as accreditation documentation, organizational charts, staffing plans, and assurance statements. Applications must be submitted via Grants.gov by October 20, 2025. There is no pre-application requirement such as a letter of intent. Interested organizations should ensure that their SAM.gov and Grants.gov registrations are current, as both are mandatory for submission. HRSA will host an informational webinar through the Bureau of Health Workforce’s open opportunities portal, which will be recorded for applicants who cannot attend live. Awards are expected to be announced by June 30, 2026, with the project start date set for July 1, 2026. The program requires award recipients to comply with federal reconciliation procedures, ensuring accurate reporting of resident FTEs. Over-reporting or duplicative claims with other federal Graduate Medical Education (GME) payments from CMS or the Children’s Hospitals GME Payment Program will result in payment reductions or recovery of funds. Additionally, recipients must agree not to supplant funds from other sources and must notify HRSA of any major programmatic changes. The program operates under statutory authority of Title III, Section 340H of the Public Health Service Act, codified at 42 U.S.C. § 256h. This continuation opportunity provides critical financial support to sustain primary care and dental residency programs in community-based centers, with the broader goal of expanding the healthcare workforce in underserved areas. With projections of significant shortages in both primary care and dentistry by 2037, the THCGME program is positioned as a vital mechanism to address these needs while promoting equitable access to healthcare across diverse communities.

Maintain updated registrations, ensure required attachments, and review HRSA webinar guidance.