• The residency position(s) will be in a hospital that is located in a rural area or in a clinic staffed by physicians who admit patients to a hospital located in a rural area. “Rural area” means a community in this state that has a population of less than 20,000 and that is at least 15 miles for any community that has a population of 20,000 or more.
  • The program under development is in one or more of the following specialties:
    • Family Medicine
    • General Surgery
    • Internal Medicine
    • Obstetrics
    • Pediatrics
    • Psychiatry
  • Rural rotations must:
    • Consist of at least 8 weeks of continuous or cumulative training experience in a rural hospital or clinic
    • Comply with ACGME or AOA resident duty hours and supervision requirements, as well as with CMS guidelines for supervisors overseeing care, care participation and billing

  • Grant recipients submit a progress and financial report at the midpoint of the grant period and within 30 days following the end of the grant period.

Application Letter of Intent

Prior to applying, please send a non-binding Letter of Intent to WRPRAP@fammed.wisc.edu to briefly outline the intended project, budget requirements and expected outcomes.

The Letter of Intent must include the following information:

  • Type of grant requested (Operational or Transformational)
  • Name and location of interested applicant organization and partners, if any
  • Name, title, email address and telephone number of the primary contact
  • Targeted specialty (family medicine, general surgery, internal medicine, obstetrics, pediatrics or psychiatry)

Application Materials

All applications must be typed, double-spaced and sequentially numbered.

A complete application includes:

  1. Grant Application Cover Sheet
  1. Proposal Narrative (not to exceed 10 pages)
    • Description of Activities and Impact on Resident Physicians in Rural Communities
      • Anticipated Outcome
      • Rationale
      • Program Planning
      • Rural Focus
      • Sustainability
  1. Timeline (1-2 pages)
    • Benchmarks/Objectives
    • Start/End Dates
  1. Budget & Budget Narrative (spreadsheet)
    • Brief description of Items and Rationale
    • Amount and Calculations
    • Other Funding Source(s)
  1. Supporting Documentation (optional)
    • Price Quotes, Data Sheets, etc.

An electronic copy of the complete application must be sent to WRPRAP@fammed.wisc.edu no later than 4:00 PM of the proposal due date.

Applicants will receive a confirmation receipt within 24 hours of the closing date and time.

Any applications received after the deadline will not be considered, and – unless requested – no additional information will be accepted.

Please note that applications for WRPRAP funding may vary, depending on the organization and request. WRPRAP considers all relevant information that your organization can provide, but a typical application is ranked according to the following criteria:

  • The applicant demonstrates that the proposed project meets the long-term goal of developing or enhancing GME training opportunities in rural Wisconsin communities.
  • Proposal Narrative: includes number of new resident positions that will be created, as applicable. Other areas to identify:
    • Rationale –clearly articulates the logic for developing a new program in one of the targeted specialties, or enhancing an existing accredited program; describes the rural focus of the program and how it will benefit rural populations
    • Program Planning – identifies resources and needs including partnering organizations, technical assistance or consultation, sponsoring institution, faculty and staff (current or needed), planning resources, program administration and information management system; describes organization’s capacity to develop and implement an accredited program, as applicable
    • Rural Training Experiences – identifies clinical training sites, length of time in rural setting, time line, strategies for resident recruitment, faculty preceptor(s), community outreach
    • Sustainability – projected revenue and expenditures, restrictions on funds, in-kind support, strategies to retain practicing physicians in rural Wisconsin communities
  • Timeline: summarizes related activities that have already been completed, outlines action steps and benchmarks (up to 12 months for standard proposals or up to three years for major proposals)
  • Budget & Budget Narrative: includes detailed budget for each year of grant, explains amount and rationale for each item, identifies in-kind and other funding sources
  • Supporting Documentation (optional): official quotes or website links to show costs of equipment purchases, consulting services, trip planning (e.g., driving maps, flight prices) and conference or workshop fees

In establishing and supporting residency positions, preference is given to residency programs that actively recruit graduates of University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health and Medical College of Wisconsin.

Evaluation Criteria for Rural Rotations

Please note that applications for WRPRAP funding may vary, depending on the request. WRPRAP considers all relevant information that your organization can provide, but a typical application is ranked according to the following criteria:

  • Proposal Narrative: includes rotation overview:
    • Logistics –identifies place, time and any longitudinal or non-sequential elements
    • Resident – name, year in residency program, medical school attended, prior rural experience
    • Rural site – organization(s), preceptor(s), site description and other contact(s)
    • Community – population, distance from city of 20,000 or more
  • Budget & Budget Narrative: includes detailed budget for salary & benefits, meals, travel and housing, as well as administrative costs and financial participation by rural site

The WRPRAP Grant Review Committee meets twice per fiscal year to assess and rank applications based on their feasibility, impact, sustainability, supporting assets and vision. Within 30 days of the application deadline, all applicants are contacted by email regarding their application results. WRPRAP sends a Notice of Award to grant recipients, recognizing the work proposed and amount awarded.

After WRPRAP’s Notice of Award, organizations outside the University of Wisconsin are designated a funding award agreement. This agreement is signed by the University of Wisconsin Department of Family Medicine & Community Health and the award is set up through the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs (RSP). This funding award agreement is the official contract between the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents and the receiving organization, or “Provider.” WRRAP will contact the Provider with the contract, which includes the Provider’s primary activities, amount of award and scope of work, along with information regarding method of payment and progress & financial reports. The awarded funds are accessible when all parties have signed to the terms in this agreement.

After WRPRAP’s Notice of Award, programs within the University of Wisconsin will follow standard internal procedures for award set up. In addition, University of Wisconsin awarded programs are expected to follow all WRPRAP award policies and University of Wisconsin financial policies. More detailed information regarding grant stipulations is included in the Notice of Award, and award set-up correspondences.

WRPRAP maintains open and public processes in the submission, review and approval of awards. University of Wisconsin is required to operate in accordance with standards consistent with Wisconsin Open Records Laws.

If awarded funding, the recipient is to acknowledge University of Wisconsin, through Wisconsin Rural Physician Residency Assistance Program, as the funding source in any press releases, articles or publications relating to the project or its results.