Medical Education and Research Cost (MERC) Grant Program - Sponsoring Institution

Medical Education and Research Cost (MERC) Grant Program - Sponsoring Institution

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: Minnesota Department of Health
Amount: More than US $5,000
Last Updated: September 02, 2025

Summary

The Medical Education and Research Cost (MERC) Grant Program, administered by the Minnesota Department of Health, supports clinical medical education in Minnesota. With $59 million allocated for the current fiscal year, the program provides funding to sponsoring institutions, such as hospitals and schools, which are responsible for clinical education programs. The minimum grant award is $5,000, aimed at addressing the financial challenges faced by teaching facilities in a competitive healthcare market.

Overview

NOTE: Register for the application portal if not a previous applicant or representative. Complete/Update Sponsoring Institution Demographics indicating intent to apply by August 31. Submit application to MDH by October 31. 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 healthcare 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 Sponsoring InstitutionA hospital, school, or consortium located in Minnesota that sponsors and maintains primary organizational and financial responsibility for a clinical medical education program in Minnesota and which is accountable to the accrediting body. 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

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. Sponsoring institution means a hospital, school, or consortium located in Minnesota that sponsors and maintains primary organizational and financial responsibility for a clinical medical education program in Minnesota and which is accountable to the accrediting body.

Ineligibility

Training that occurs in a nursing facility (or a hospital swing bed unit) is not eligible.