Opportunity Information: Apply for HRSA 23 120

The Maternity Care Nursing Workforce Expansion (MatCare) Program is a federal grant opportunity from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, administered through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). It is a discretionary grant designed to expand the nurse-midwifery workforce by investing directly in accredited nurse midwifery education programs. The central idea is to help these programs educate and graduate more Certified Nurse Midwives (CNMs) while also improving the quality, relevance, and reach of the training pipeline, especially in rural and underserved communities where maternal and perinatal health needs are often greatest.

The program focuses on practical, workforce-oriented support for training, and it allows funding to be used for key levers that directly affect enrollment, completion, and readiness to practice. This includes trainee scholarships and stipends that reduce the financial barriers students face, curriculum enhancement to ensure students are trained on the most urgent and common maternal health challenges, and community-based training opportunities that place students in real-world settings serving populations that experience higher risks and poorer outcomes. In other words, the grant is structured to support both the student side (financial and experiential support) and the program side (curriculum and training infrastructure).

MatCare has three main goals. First, it aims to increase the number of Certified Nurse Midwives and diversify the maternal and perinatal health nursing workforce. This reflects a workforce growth strategy that also emphasizes representation and cultural responsiveness, recognizing that a more diverse clinician workforce can strengthen trust, communication, and quality of care across different communities. Second, the program seeks to enhance maternal health training so that graduates are better prepared to address maternal mental health needs as well as the risk factors tied to maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity. This goal points to training that goes beyond routine clinical competencies and intentionally equips CNMs to identify, manage, and coordinate care for complex and high-impact challenges such as perinatal mood disorders, substance use considerations, chronic disease, and other contributors to preventable harm. Third, MatCare is designed to strengthen community-based training partnerships, encouraging formal relationships between training programs and the clinics, hospitals, community health centers, and other local providers that can offer meaningful clinical experiences and sustained pipelines into practice in underserved areas.

From an eligibility standpoint, the opportunity is geared toward institutions and organizations positioned to run or support accredited nurse midwifery programs. Eligible applicants include public and state-controlled institutions of higher education and private institutions of higher education, along with federally recognized Native American tribal governments and other Native American tribal organizations. HRSA also notes an "Others" category with additional eligibility details provided in the full notice, which typically clarifies what types of entities may apply under specific conditions tied to program requirements.

Administratively, this opportunity is listed as HRSA-23-120 under CFDA 93.247 in the health funding activity category, and it uses the standard federal grant funding instrument. The notice was created on June 12, 2023, with an original application closing date of July 14, 2023. HRSA anticipated making about 8 awards, with an award ceiling of up to $1,000,000 per award. Overall, the MatCare Program is structured as a targeted investment in nurse-midwifery education capacity, student support, and community-based training networks, with the broader aim of improving maternal and perinatal outcomes by strengthening and diversifying the CNM workforce where it is most needed.

  • The Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Maternity Care Nursing Workforce Expansion (MatCare) Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
  • Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.247.
  • This funding opportunity was created on Jun 12, 2023.
  • Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 14, 2023. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
  • Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $1,000,000.00 in funding.
  • The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 8 candidate(s).
  • Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Private institutions of higher education, Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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MatCare (Maternity Care Nursing Workforce Expansion) Program FAQs

What is the MatCare Program?

The Maternity Care Nursing Workforce Expansion (MatCare) Program is a federal discretionary grant opportunity from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). It is designed to expand the nurse-midwifery workforce by investing directly in accredited nurse-midwifery education programs.

Who administers this grant opportunity?

The program is administered through HRSA (Health Resources and Services Administration), an agency within HHS (the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services).

What is the main purpose of MatCare funding?

The central purpose is to help accredited nurse-midwifery education programs educate and graduate more Certified Nurse Midwives (CNMs), while improving the quality, relevance, and reach of training, especially in rural and underserved communities with high maternal and perinatal health needs.

What workforce does MatCare aim to expand?

MatCare is focused on expanding the nurse-midwifery workforce, with a specific emphasis on increasing the number of Certified Nurse Midwives (CNMs).

What types of activities can MatCare funds support?

Based on the information provided, MatCare funding may be used for practical, workforce-oriented supports that affect enrollment, completion, and readiness to practice, including trainee scholarships and stipends, curriculum enhancement, and community-based training opportunities in real-world settings.

Does the program support students directly?

Yes. The opportunity allows funds to be used for trainee scholarships and stipends intended to reduce financial barriers for students in nurse-midwifery education programs.

Does the program support improvements to the education program itself?

Yes. MatCare supports program-side improvements such as curriculum enhancement and training infrastructure that strengthen the overall training pipeline for future CNMs.

What is meant by "community-based training opportunities" in this program?

Community-based training opportunities refer to clinical and practical training placements in real-world settings serving populations with higher risks and poorer outcomes. The opportunity emphasizes placing students in settings such as clinics, hospitals, community health centers, and other local providers as part of the training pipeline.

Why does MatCare emphasize rural and underserved communities?

The program highlights rural and underserved communities because maternal and perinatal health needs are often greatest in these areas. The program is designed to strengthen the workforce and training pipeline in places where CNMs are most needed.

What are the three main goals of the MatCare Program?

MatCare has three main goals: (1) increase the number of Certified Nurse Midwives and diversify the maternal and perinatal health nursing workforce; (2) enhance maternal health training so graduates are better prepared to address maternal mental health needs and risk factors tied to maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity; and (3) strengthen community-based training partnerships between education programs and local clinical providers.

How does MatCare address workforce diversity?

One of MatCare's stated goals is to increase and diversify the maternal and perinatal health nursing workforce. The program framing links workforce diversity to stronger trust, communication, and culturally responsive care across different communities.

What maternal health topics does MatCare want training programs to emphasize?

The program seeks training that prepares CNM graduates to address maternal mental health needs and risk factors associated with maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity. The description specifically points to preparation for complex, high-impact challenges such as perinatal mood disorders, substance use considerations, chronic disease, and other contributors to preventable harm.

What are "community-based training partnerships" in the context of MatCare?

These are formal relationships between nurse-midwifery education programs and community clinical training sites (for example, clinics, hospitals, community health centers, and other local providers). The intent is to create meaningful clinical experiences and sustained pipelines into practice in underserved areas.

Who is eligible to apply for MatCare?

Eligible applicants include public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, federally recognized Native American tribal governments, and other Native American tribal organizations. HRSA also lists an "Others" eligibility category, with additional details available in the full notice.

Are tribal entities eligible to apply?

Yes. Federally recognized Native American tribal governments and other Native American tribal organizations are included in the eligible applicant categories described.

What does the "Others" eligibility category mean?

HRSA notes an "Others" category with additional eligibility details provided in the full notice. Based on the information provided here, the specific entities included under "Others" are not listed and would be clarified by the official notice.

What is the funding instrument used for this opportunity?

The opportunity uses the standard federal grant funding instrument.

What is the opportunity number and CFDA listing?

The opportunity is listed as HRSA-23-120 and is associated with CFDA 93.247. It is categorized under the health funding activity area.

When was the notice created?

The notice was created on June 12, 2023.

What was the original application closing date?

The original application closing date was July 14, 2023.

How many awards were expected to be made?

HRSA anticipated making about 8 awards under this opportunity.

What is the maximum award amount?

The award ceiling was up to $1,000,000 per award.

Is MatCare focused more on education capacity or clinical service delivery?

Based on the description provided, MatCare is structured as an investment in nurse-midwifery education capacity, student support, curriculum and training improvements, and community-based training networks, with the broader aim of improving maternal and perinatal outcomes by strengthening the CNM workforce.

How does MatCare connect training investments to maternal health outcomes?

The program connects training investments to outcomes by expanding and diversifying the CNM workforce and by strengthening training on maternal mental health and major risk factors tied to maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity, particularly in rural and underserved communities.

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