2026 Drivers of Health Grant Opportunity to Strengthen Physician-Led Solutions, Open Now

The Physicians Foundation seeks proposals from medical associations to help physicians identify and address drivers of health as part of regular patient care

BOSTON, August 17, 2026 — Today, The Physicians Foundation announced a new request for proposals (RFP) to support medical associations working to strengthen physicians’ ability to identify and address drivers of health (DOH) as part of regular patient care. The Foundation will select five organizations to receive grants of up to $75,000 for projects implemented over a period of up to two years.

Drivers of health, including access to nutritious food, safe housing, transportation, physical activity and primary care, can have a profound impact on a patient’s ability to prevent and manage disease. A 2026 survey of America’s physicians underscores the consequences physicians are seeing in their practices: more than half of physicians (55%) encounter patients at least weekly whose chronic disease care is compromised by a lack of access to healthy food, while nearly one in four (23%) encounter these patients every day.

“Physicians see every day how the conditions surrounding a patient’s life can determine whether even the best clinical care succeeds,” said Gary Price, MD, president of The Physicians Foundation. “Addressing drivers of health cannot fall on physicians alone. Through this grant program, we are investing in the infrastructure, resources and partnerships physicians need to connect patients with meaningful support and translate what they identify in the exam room into better health.”

Through the 2026 Drivers of Health Grant Program, the Foundation is seeking proposals from medical associations interested in developing capacity, resources and data collection to support physicians in integrating DOH screening and resource navigation into their practices. Selected grantees will recruit cohorts of physicians to implement or enhance these approaches and provide feedback and data on the integration process.

The RFP encourages proposals addressing areas including nutrition, physical activity, and access to primary care, while welcoming innovative approaches to other drivers of health. Projects may help physicians build stronger referral pathways to community resources, make screening and resource navigation more actionable within clinical workflows, or address structural barriers that prevent patients from accessing the resources they need to be healthy.

The need for these solutions extends beyond individual patient encounters. The Foundation’s Food as Medicine survey found that 45% of physicians report that patients with chronic diseases frequently or almost always experience worsening symptom control primarily because of drivers of health rather than clinical factors alone. 63% of physicians also report experiencing stress, frustration or moral distress at least weekly when they are unable to stabilize a patient’s chronic disease because of drivers of health outside their control.

Applicants should demonstrate their ability to support physicians with practice-level change, their existing resources or expertise related to drivers of health, the DOH landscape within their state or region and their organizational capacity to work directly with practicing physicians. The Foundation will prioritize proposals that are rooted in physician needs, responsive to urgent challenges within their communities and positioned to create meaningful impact from the practice level to the policy level.

To apply, organizations should register and log in to The Physicians Foundation’s online application system and use the access code DOH26.

Proposals are due September 9, 2026, at midnight ET. Funding decisions are expected by October 31, 2026, with projects beginning January 4, 2027.

About The Physicians Foundation 

The Physicians Foundation is a public charity seeking to advance the work of practicing physicians and help them facilitate the delivery of high-quality health care to patients. As the U.S. health care system continues to evolve, The Physicians Foundation is steadfast in strengthening the physician-patient relationship, supporting medical practices’ sustainability and helping physicians navigate the changing health care system. The Physicians Foundation pursues its mission through research, education and innovative grant making that improves physician wellbeing, strengthens physician leadership, addresses drivers of health and lifts physician perspectives. For more information, visit www.physiciansfoundation.org.

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