What’s New
Food Insecurity by County. The hunger-relief organization Feeding America has created an interactive map of county level food-insecurity rates in the United States. Food security, as defined and measured by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, means “access by all people at all times to enough food for an active, healthy life.” Overall, more than 42 million people, or 13.4% of the population, were considered food-insecure in the year 2015, the last year for which data are available. The highest rate was in Mississippi, where 21.5% are food insecure. Rates of food insecurity are generally higher in rural households than urban.
Funding Opportunities
Rural Health and Safety Education – June 30. Land-grant colleges and universities, established to focus on agricultural and mechanical science and research, are eligible to compete for grants of up to $350,000 to implement this program supporting health education in rural communities. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) will invest a total of $2.8 million in rural health and safety education “to promote and enhance rural health, strengthen economic vitality and, in the long run, mitigate the effects of rural poverty.” More information about the program is available on the NIFA website.
USDA Rural Telemedicine Development – July 17. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Utilities Service (RUS) seeks applicants for the 2017 Distance Learning and Telemedicine (DLT) grant program, providing up to $500,000 to support access to education, training, and health care resources for rural residents through telecommunications technologies. This year, RUS will prioritize $1.6 million for communication upgrades between ambulances, emergency transportation vehicles, and medical facilities. Applicants should be aware that DLT grants require a minimum 15% match, which cannot be from another federal source.
Suicide Prevention – July 18. Health agencies with mental and behavioral health functions may apply for awards up to $700,000 to implement Zero Suicide in Health Systems. In cooperative agreements with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), successful applicants will raise awareness of suicide, establish referral processes and work to improve care and outcomes for adults 25 and older who are at risk for suicide. SAMHSA will hold a pre-application webinar on Friday, June 2 at 2:00 pm ET. For more information, contact James.Wright@samhsa.hhs.gov. Earlier this year, a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention identified data showing higher risk and rates of suicide in rural communities.
Funding for Children Affected by Substance Abuse – August 9. Nonprofit organizations, state and local governments and Native American tribal governments are among those eligible to form regional networks and compete for 11 awards up to $600,000 from the Administration for Children and Families to improve the well-being of children affected by substance abuse. Applicants must have in place a collaborative network within or across state lines that include varying entities of health, child welfare, law enforcement and other entities related to child and family services. Six awards up to $600,000 will also be made for regional partnerships supporting children affected by substance abuse in American Indian/Alaska Native communities.
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