2026-2027 Grant Year

Online Information Sessions

All Patient Care Trust Fund (PCTF) applicants are required to attend an upcoming Online Information Session in order to apply for this year’s available grants. If you are not able to attend a session, reach out to Michael Velarde, PCTF Director, at mvelarde@cirseiu.org. 

About the Patient Care Trust Fund

For over 40 years, CIR’s  Patient Care Trust Fund (PCTF) has invested in the leadership of residents and fellows at NYC Health + Hospitals (H + H) to improve care and safety in the country’s largest public health system.

Through exclusive grant funding and member advocacy, we connect emerging physician leaders with the resources they need to leave their mark on care delivery, residency training, and public health.

PCTF offers three core grant programs for H + H house staff to obtain medical equipment and training resources, lead clinical and quality improvement research, and implement community-based health projects. During the last grant year alone, PCTF awarded house staff from every NYC H + H facility with over $800,000 in direct grant funding for high-impact, resident-led initiatives, including:

  • $750,000 for cutting-edge medical equipment, simulation systems, and other health resources to modernize our city’s public health infrastructure, elevate specialty training, and expand access to high-quality, responsive care for all New Yorkers.
  • $45,000 to launch or scale up innovative research, quality improvement, and patient advocacy efforts that empower physicians-in-training to advance health equity and address the various drivers of community health and resident wellbeing through multiple modalities.
  • $20,000 for events, programs, or initiatives that promote joy and justice for children and families in the hospital community.

Schedule:

These events are intended for interns, residents, and fellows employed by NYC Health + Hospitals.

Registration is required to attend. 

The first twenty (20) H + H residents to register and attend an information session will each receive a $25 GrubHub gift certificate!

Each information session will take place on Zoom. You only need to attend one session as the content will be the same. Click on your preferred date/time below to reserve your spot:

Tuesday, October 6, 2026:

Wednesday, October 7, 2026:

Thursday, October 8, 2026:

Friday, October 9, 2026:

For more information, contact Leni Kreienberg, CIR Patient Care Trust Fund Program Coordinator, at lkreienberg@cirseiu.org. 

Request for Proposals

The first round of PCTF grant applications will go live here on October 1, 2026.

All prospective applicants are required to attend an information session before applying. The sessions will cover frequently asked questions and all the basics of submitting a highly competitive proposal. 

If  you are unable to attend, please schedule an appointment with PCTF staff to fulfill the requirement. 

New Funding Priorities

CIR’s Patient Care Trust Fund is taking action to protect our patients and communities from the escalating health effects of climate change and systemic racism.

Beginning in the 2026-27 Grant Year, the PCTF Board will prioritize funding proposals across all of our grant categories–equipment, research, and advocacy–that advance health equity, racial and gender justice, and immigrant rights as well as those that promote environmentally-sustainable healthcare and climate preparedness/resilience in the communities and populations most directly-harmed by racial and environmental injustice. Through this targeted strategy, we are deepening our investment in resident innovation and leadership to address the most pressing health needs and challenges of our time.

To learn more about PCTF’s multiple grant offerings for H + H house staff, please join one of our upcoming how-to-apply information sessions. Don’t miss out on your chance to secure vital resources for your patients, programs, and hospital communities!

Sustainable Hospitals and Health Equity Grant

Medical equipment, training devices, and other healthcare assets for departments and hospitals that will advance patient care and safety goals while supporting climate resilience or environmental sustainability in their hospital and catchment area. Applications open December 1, 2026 and are due by February 28, 2027. 

Community Research and Action Grant

Research, educational, quality improvement, and advocacy initiatives led by residents and fellows, with priority given to projects that promote awareness and action on the health dimensions of environmental sustainability, climate resilience, and racial equity, gender justice, and immigrant rights issues. Applications open November 2, 2026 and are due by January 8, 2027. 

Children’s Joy + Justice Grant

Funding for Pediatric departments, subspecialties, and adjacents. This is an expansion of our beloved Holiday Grant and proposals must now contain two components: a holiday grant budget and a community programming budget to host an event, program, or initiative that promotes joy and justice for children and families in the hospital community. Grants will be increased from $1,500 to $2,000 per hospital. Applications open October 1, 2026 and are due by October 30, 2026.