The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is comprised of many different divisions, all of which have grants that can be applied for through grants.gov.
Link to HHS list of grant writing tips
The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) is a Federal organization that works to promote economic and social well-being in children and families. Grants also exist for culturally specific groups (refugees, LGBTQ). ACF funds state, local, and non-profit organizations that do the same. Competitive grants can be applied for through grants.gov.
A previous discretionary grant program was established by ACF to provide support services, job training, and education to runaway children that were victims of abuse and/or neglect. $20 million was distributed among to 100 recipients.
Another $9 million dollars was awarded for “street outreach” programs that provided for immediate needs of youth in crisis, helped youth develop healthy coping strategies, and helped establish stable healthy living arrangements.
Link to ACF searchable list of open competitive grants
Link to grants.gov (where to apply for ACF grants)
The ACF also provides application forms, assurances, disclosures, and reporting documents that are required for their grantees.
The Administration for Community Living (ACL) works to meet the unique needs of older Americans and people with disabilities through two centers:
The Administration on Aging (AOA) and the Administration on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AIDD) primarily offer cooperative agreements with states and formula funding. However the ACL offers a very helpful tutorial on competitive grant writing.
Link to ACL grant writing tutorial
The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) provides health care services for Medicare and Medicaid recipients. Previously, CMS provided $900 million to fund programs that provided compelling ways of providing better health care at lower costs for Medicare, Medicaid and, Children’s Health Insurance Programs. CMS grants may be searched for and applied for through grants.gov.
Link to grants.gov (where to apply for CMS grants)
The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is the primary Federal agency for improving access to health care services for people who are uninsured, isolated or medically vulnerable. HRSA grantees provide health care to uninsured people, people living with HIV/AIDS, and pregnant women, mothers and children. They train health professionals and improve systems of care in rural communities.
HRSA oversees organ, bone marrow and cord blood donation. It compensates individuals harmed by vaccination, and maintains databases that protect against health care malpractice, waste, fraud and abuse. Grant programs that are offered by HRSA cover all of the topics detailed above, but change frequently, so be sure to check their site often. For more information on specific HRSA grants, explore the links below.
HRSA grants are also listed on Grants.gov
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) exists to reduce the impact of substance abuse and mental illness on America's communities. The agency’s grant page provides a current list of funding opportunities made available through their three centers:
The Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) seeks to fund programs thatprevent and treat mental disorders. For example, CMHS awarded Monroe County Public Health Department $1,000,000 for a program to improve behavioral health outcomes of youth with emotional disturbances through financing counseling services and mental health support.
The Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) has a mission of reducing and preventing abuse of illegal drugs, alcohol, and tobacco. CSAT recently awarded SUNY Downstate Medical College in Albany $50,000 to procure supplies for Rapid HIV Testing and provide training on their use.
The Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP) aims to provision effective substance abuse treatment and recovery services. The town of Cortland, NY was recently awarded $125,000 by CSAP for its Drug Free Community Support Program, which established funding for community coalitions working to prevent and reduce substance use among and, over time, reduce substance abuse among adults by promoting the factors that minimize the risk of substance abuse.
In addition to grant opportunities, the SAMHSA website has many useful resources including statistics on treatment programs, “performance measurement tools,” explanation of the SAMHSA peer review process, and post-award grant management help center. Look for SAMHSA grants on grants.gov.
Link to SAMHSA performance measurement tools
Click here to return to the Federal Grants by Departments and Divisions page