Medical practitioners and healthcare providers benefit from MAGPI and Internet2 by increasing institutional efficiencies, keeping doctors at the forefront of research and improving patient care.

Community Connect Grant Program

Funding Agency: United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Rural Utilities Service (RUS)
Website: http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/utp_commconnect.html

The Community Connect program serves rural communities where broadband service is least likely to be available, but where it can make a tremendous difference in the quality of life for citizens. The projects funded by these grants will help rural residents tap into the enormous potential of the Internet.

Funds may be used to build broadband infrastructure and establish a community center which offers free public access to broadband for two years.

Deadline: May 3, 2011

United States Department of Agriculture Rural Utilities Service (RUS) Distance Learning and Telemedicine Grant

Funding Agency: United States Department of Agriculture 
Website: http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/UTP_DLT.html

The Distance Learning and Telemedicine Program (DLT) is designed specifically to meet the educational and health care needs of rural America. Through loans, grants and loan/grant combinations, advanced telecommunications technologies provide enhanced learning and health care opportunities for rural residents.

The RUS DLT program supports projects in highly rural and economically disadvantaged locations to develop and expand distance learning and telemedicine capacity through the acquisition of equipment, instructional programming, and technical assistance for using eligible equipment.  

Eligibility:  Applicants must be legally organized as an incorporated organization or partnership; an Indian tribe or tribal organization; a consortium; or other legal entity, including a private corporation organized on a for-profit or not-for-profit basis. Applicants must show legal standing to contract with the federal government. Examples of eligible organizations are local education agencies (LEAs), education service centers, hospitals, higher education institutions, workforce investment boards, tribal organizations, education and training providers, health care providers, and faith-based community organizations. To be eligible for a grant, organizations must currently deliver or propose to deliver distance learning or telemedicine services for the term of the grant.

Deadline: The application deadline is April 25, 2011. 

Grant Amount: Project awards range from $50,000 – $500,000, with a one year grant period.