Skip to content

RURAL WOMEN SHAPING HEALTH RESEARCH

Rural Women Shaping Health Research Project
Overview and Participation Details

 

National Grange is looking for 10 Granges to join a two-year project funded by PCORI - and we hope you'll consider being one of them.

Rural women age 50 and older know things about health care that researchers often do not hear.

They know what it means to drive a long distance for an appointment. They know what it means to care for a spouse, a parent, a child, or a neighbor while also trying to take care of themselves. They know which services are hard to get, which questions do not get asked, and what actually matters when decisions are being made about health care.

That is why the National Grange, supported by an award from the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), is working to make sure rural women’s voices are included in future health research.

The idea is simple. Rural women are often left out of the conversations that shape health research. Researchers decide what to study, what questions to ask, and what outcomes matter, but those decisions do not always reflect the realities of rural life.

This project is an effort to change that, and Granges are the right partners to help make it happen.

Each participating Grange would nominate one woman member, age 50 or older, to serve as a Key Stakeholder. This should be someone who knows her community, is comfortable bringing people together, and wants to help identify what rural women care about when it comes to their health and health care.

She does not need to be a health expert. In fact, that is the point. We are looking for women with lived experience, common sense, and a clear understanding of what life looks like in their community.

How to Apply

Applications are submitted online by the Grange on behalf of both the Grange and the Key Stakeholder. We'll be looking at the strength of the partnership, the Key Stakeholder's connection to the community, the Grange's ability to reach rural women, and how your team fits into the geographic diversity of the 10 selected teams overall.

Have questions?

Join one of our open office hours - informal call where you can ask anything and get a feel for what the project involves

  • Friday, July 17 – 3:00–4:00 PM ET
  • Thursday, July 30 – 11:00 AM–12:00 PM ET
  • Monday, August 3 – 5:00–6:00 PM ET
REGISTER FOR OFFICE HOURS HERE

Ready to apply?

Please let us know through this form before August 10.

 

I WANT TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PROJECT

What Would Your Grange with Key Stakeholders Actually Do?

Over two years (September 2026 – April 2028), your Team would:

  • Learn about patient-centered research. What it is, why it matters, and how rural women can shape it. No prior medical or research background needed — we'll provide everything.
  • Host community roundtables. At least 8 over the course of the project, with small groups of 4–6 rural women each. These can be in person or virtual, with at least one held in person. Since you'll be hosting an in-person session, your Grange should have a hall or community space where local women can comfortably gather. Conversations are guided but informal, focused on what health challenges and research questions feel most important to participants.
  • Connect and share across the project. Key Stakeholders meet monthly at first, then every 6–8 weeks via Zoom, sharing what they're hearing from their communities.
  • Help spread the word locally. Through your Grange newsletter, social media, meetings, and relationships with community organizations like senior centers, churches, and libraries.

The Key Stakeholder is the heart of your team - she will go through training, lead the roundtable conversations, gather and share what she's hearing, and keep the project connected to your community's real experiences.

Grange's role is about logistics and reach: providing a space, helping get the word out, and supporting your Key Stakeholder, making sure she has the support she needs to do the work.

Who Makes a Strong Key Stakeholder?

The right person is someone who:

  • Is an active member of the applying Grange.
  • Lives in a rural, frontier, or rural-adjacent community.
  • Is comfortable facilitating conversations in the community (training and support will be provided; no prior experience is needed).
  • Has basic computer literacy and is able to participate in online meetings - including Zoom video calls, email, and use of simple digital documents. Access to a reliable internet connection is required.

Who Makes a Strong Grange?

  • The right Grange is one that is rooted in its community and ready to open its doors - literally and figuratively.
  • You don't need to be large or exceptionally well-resourced. What matters most is that you're engaged, connected, and genuinely motivated to bring more rural women's voices into the conversation.
  • Since you'll be hosting at least one in-person roundtable, having a Grange hall or accessible community space where local women can comfortably gather is important.

Support and Compensation

We’re looking for teams who are genuinely interested in this work, as the project is most successful when participants feel personally connected to the importance of elevating rural women’s health perspectives. To recognize the time, effort, and contributions involved, both the participating Grange and the Key Stakeholder will receive a stipend.

Timeline

  • Applications accepted: July 1 – August 10, 2026
  • Teams selected: by August 20, 2026
  • Project begins: September 2026
  • Project ends: April 2028

We're accepting applications on a rolling basis. Applying early is welcome, but we'll always choose a strong, well-matched team over an early one that isn't the right fit.