The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is accepting applications for grants to use broadband e-connectivity to improve access to health care and educational services in rural communities.
The USDA is awarding grants ranging from $50,000 to $500,000 under the Distance Learning and Telemedicine (DLT) program. Grants can finance projects such as those to provide job training, academic instruction or access to specialized medical care.
USDA e-Connectivity Grant Applications
Proposals for projects for opioid prevention, treatment and recovery will receive 10 priority points when applications are scored. The USDA said it is approaching the opioid misuse crisis with a dedicated urgency because it impacts the quality of life, economic opportunity and rural prosperity.
The USDA also will provide priority points for grants that support access to science, technology, wngineering and math (STEM) courses.
Grants are available to most state and local governmental entities, federally recognized tribes, nonprofit groups, for-profit businesses or a consortia of these.
The application deadline is June 4, 2018.
“USDA is tackling e-connectivity as a foundational issue for rural communities because it affects everything from business opportunities to adequate health care access,” said Anne Hazlett, assistant to the secretary for rural development, in a prepared statement. “These grants are one of many tools USDA provides to help ensure that people who live and work in rural areas can use broadband to gain access to essential services and economic opportunities.”
In South Dakota, Horizon Health Care used a $238,303 DLT grant in 2015 to develop a video-based mental health network for the central and southwest regions of the state. The video network was launched last year. The network covers more than one-third of the state.