News

August 25, 2026By Physicians for a Healthy California CalMedForce

Physicians for a Healthy California (PHC), in partnership with the University of California, has opened the FY 2026–27 CalMedForce and CalMedForce+ grant cycle, providing approximately $83.5 million to support graduate medical education (GME) programs across California.

Together, CalMedForce and CalMedForce+ support new, expanding and existing residency and fellowship programs, with funding aimed at strengthening California's physician workforce and supporting programs that serve medically underserved areas and populations.

Programs submit one application and will be considered for all funding sources for which they are eligible. While the two programs share an application process, their funding sources and eligibility differ:

• CalMedForce (Proposition 56): Approximately $19.5 million is expected to be available for primary care — family medicine, internal medicine, obstetrics and gynecology and pediatrics — and emergency medicine residency programs. Funding may support new, expanding and existing positions.
• CalMedForce+ (Proposition 35):  Up to $64 million is available for all specialties and fellowships. All eligible program types may apply, with funding prioritized for new and expanding positions.

Eligible programs must be located in California and accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), or receive accreditation by the time a grant contract is executed. Programs serving medically underserved populations and areas receive priority through the application scoring process.

Grant amounts vary by program type. New programs are eligible for up to $105,000 per resident or fellow per year for up to 5 years of funding, expanding programs up to $95,000 and existing programs up to $50,000. Funding amounts are approximate and subject to available funds and award criteria.

Programs are encouraged to review the FY 2026–27 grant guidelines and application resources at CalMedForce.org before submitting an application. Applications submitted before the deadline will receive a PHC staff review within one week to verify the completeness and accuracy of required documents. If staff identify an error, applicants will have three business days after notification to make the requested corrections.

Key Dates

• August 25, 2026: Application cycle opens
• October 6, 2026, at 7 p.m. PT: Application deadline; late applications will not be accepted
• November–December 2026: Award announcements expected
• Spring 2027: Award agreements distributed, with execution anticipated no later than July 1, 2027

For more information, visit CalMedForce.org.