The NIHCM Foundation supports innovative, solutions-oriented, investigator-initiated policy research that builds the evidence base and has the potential to inform strategies that improve the affordability, accessibility, and quality of health care in the US.
Donor Name: NIHCM Foundation
State: All States
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 06/08/2026
Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000
Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned
Details:
Funded projects should produce new insights, data analysis, and evidence that are relevant to health plans, policymakers, health care delivery systems, and/or related stakeholders.
This year, they are inviting letters of inquiry for projects that examine the key drivers and implications of rising health care spending, with a focus on costs, affordability, quality, and access. They are particularly seeking solutions-oriented health care research that evaluates or informs public and private sector strategies and policies, including at the state and federal levels. All proposals should be geared towards improving the value of health care in the US.
Focus Areas
Funding requests should align with one or more of the following issue areas:
- Health Care Costs & Quality: Understanding the key drivers of rising health care spending and the implications for access to care, quality, and health outcomes. The effectiveness of state and federal policies implemented to control costs, as well as interventions aimed at reducing low value care.
- Health Care Consolidation: How health care competition, consolidation, and ownership across the health care system are impacting costs, access, provider workforce dynamics, quality of care, and patient outcomes.
- Artificial Intelligence: The impacts of artificial intelligence in health care, including opportunities for cost savings, reduced administrative burden, increased access to care, and improved health outcomes, as well as the potential challenges around spending, increased coding intensity, and quality control.
- Prescription Drugs & Technology: The implications of technology and drug prices on spending, utilization, and health outcomes, and the effectiveness of public and private sector policies and innovations to improve patient outcomes and access, while managing the cost of care.
- Rural Health: Challenges and opportunities facing rural health systems and communities around health care costs, access, consolidation, and quality. The impact of state and federal policies and innovations to improve health care in rural areas, including telehealth, workforce development, and care coordination and delivery.
- Maternal Health: Understanding the drivers of — and disparities in — maternal health (including postpartum) and infant health outcomes and how public and private sector policies and initiatives impact maternal health care delivery, access to high-value care, health outcomes, and costs.
Funding Information
NIHCM is making a total of $500,000 available for the 2026-2027 Policy Research Grant cycle, with most individual grants awarded in the $50,000 range.
Eligibility Criteria
The NICM Foundation welcomes applications from individual researchers as well as from all types of organizations and institutions, including both nonprofit and for-profit entities. Multiple organizations may apply jointly, but one must be named as the principal organization, and others will have a subcontract relationship with that organization. There is no limit on the number of project ideas that may be submitted by a given researcher, organization, or academic department.
For more information, visit NIHCM Foundation.
