Open: October 9–November 13, 2026. Georgia’s GREAT Health Rural Simulation Mannequin Grant Program is a competitive Year 1, federal fiscal year 2026 Rural Health Transformation Program opportunity administered through the Georgia Board of Health Care Workforce and Georgia Department of Community Health. It funds qualifying rural Georgia nurse-training programs to establish or expand hands-on nursing simulation instruction. The official announcement gives a $90,000 award per selected training location and anticipates approximately five awards, subject to review and funding. The official announcement does not publish a closing clock time or time zone.
Who may apply
Applicants must be Georgia Board of Nursing–approved nursing-training programs with current student enrollment in one of the state’s 126 eligible HRSA rural or partially rural counties. Qualifying offerings include practical nursing diplomas/certificates, associate or bachelor’s nursing degrees, registered-nurse diploma programs, and advanced-practice registered-nurse training. Programs accredited by CCNE or ACEN receive preference. A training location is treated as an individual applicant even where several locations share a parent program; the agency indicates a preference for one award per location, although additional requests may be considered depending on need and availability. Applicants should confirm geographic eligibility against the current agency county list.
Allowable activities and restrictions
Eligible spending includes clinical simulation mannequins, consumable supplies, faculty simulation training, scenario development or software, and necessary service contracts and technical support. As a general rule the mannequin portion is capped at $70,000 of the $90,000 award; the announcement allows exceptions when the applicant demonstrates that other necessary simulation-program expenses are already covered. Virtual-reality simulation is eligible only in conjunction with a physical mannequin and, subject to agency approval, may not exceed 15% of the total requested budget. Project funds must be expended by September 1, 2027.
The program excludes non-simulation operating expenses, pre-award costs, new construction, building purchase, renovation or upgrades, staff salaries, unrelated activities, insured clinical services, food/meals, and projects already supported through current or planned other funding. The controlling announcement does not specify a universal applicant matching requirement; verify grant agreement terms before budgeting.
Application requirements
Applicants should obtain a vendor quotation with complete mannequin and related costs; document the proposed simulation equipment, curriculum integration, physical space, faculty training, program readiness, sustainability and ongoing costs; provide an implementation and monitoring/evaluation plan and risk mitigation; and submit an institutional commitment statement signed by the dean, program director or authorized simulation leadership. Review the official web application for additional required fields and supporting certifications. The deadline for program questions is November 9, 2026 (close of business); this is not the grant application deadline.
Application deadline: November 13, 2026. Apply via the official GREAT Health Rural Simulation Mannequin application. Read the controlling eight-page Funding Opportunity Announcement and Georgia GREAT Health funding updates for any amendments before submission. Official solicitation verified October 11, 2026. The application portal’s complete interactive field-level requirements were not independently available at this review; confirm them directly with the administrator before submitting.