Medical Education and Research Cost (MERC) Grant Program - Minnesota Clinical Training Site

Medical Education and Research Cost (MERC) Grant Program - Minnesota Clinical Training Site

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: Minnesota Department of Health
Amount: More than US $5,000
Last Updated: September 03, 2025

Summary

The Medical Education and Research Cost (MERC) Grant Program supports clinical medical education in Minnesota, addressing funding challenges faced by teaching facilities. Established in 1996, the program allocates $59 million in the current fiscal year through a grant formula, with minimum awards starting at $5,000. Applications must be submitted by sponsoring institutions on behalf of clinical training sites, ensuring students gain essential clinical experience in diverse healthcare settings.

Overview

NOTE: Clinical training sites have a two-step process for applying. Both must be submitted no later than 4:30 p.m. Central Time on the respective due date. Registration - Pre-Application Open August 15 - 31 (includes intent to apply.)Step One -Initial Application Due September 30 (Submit Step 1 of the application by September 30.)Step Two - Expenditures Due December 15 (Beginning November 15, qualifying sites may begin Step 2 of the training site application. Submit Step 2 of the application by December 15.) Background Minnesota Statute 62J.692 authorizes the Commission of Health to award grants to support clinical medical education. The MERC grant was established in 1996 and funded for the first time in 1997. Its purpose is to provide support for certain medical education activities in Minnesota that historically were supported in significant part by patient care revenues. Due to Minnesota’s competitive health care market, payers became increasingly unwilling to pay the extra costs associated with the purchase of services at teaching facilities. Teaching facilities are forced to compete with non-teaching facilities, which results in greater difficulty in funding teaching activities. The Minnesota Legislature has appropriated $59 million in the current fiscal year. Funding will be allocated through a grant formula. Estimated award minimum is $5,000. Applicant Summary Minnesota Clinical Training SiteWhere the students/residents gain clinical training experience in an inpatient or ambulatory patient care setting in Minnesota. A clinical training site is the Minnesota Heath Care Program (MCHP) enrolled practice address where training occurred. The sponsoring institution is designated as the applicant because, in some cases, programs are not prepared to handle funding directly, but rely on the sponsoring institution or consortium for those functions. Applications must be submitted to the Minnesota Department of Health by a sponsoring institution on behalf of one or more teaching programs and clinical training sites hosting the clinical trainees. Application includes the sponsoring institution demographics, the teaching programs applying under sponsoring institution, and the clinical training sites applying through the sponsoring institution’s teaching programs.

Eligibility

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