As the holiday season approaches, the Montana Public Health Institute team extends heartfelt gratitude to all public health workers across the state. Your dedication and efforts have made a profound impact on the health and well-being of our communities. We wish everyone a happy and healthy holiday season filled with peace, joy, and renewed strength for the year ahead.

MEHA and MPHA Annual Meetings

You are invited to join the Montana Environmental Health Association (MEHA) Annual Association Meeting on December 11 at 12:30p. Register here.

You are invited to join the Montana Public Health Association (MPHA) for Annual Association Meeting on December 17 at 12:00p. Register here.

Confluence 2026 Conference Awards & Abstracts

Confluence Public Health Alliance is excited to announce the Confluence 2026 Conference - Plains to Peaks: Uniting for a Healthier Montana. The conference will take place April 14-16, 2026 at the Billings Hotel and Convention Center.

Want to honor the work of a public or environmental health individual or group? The MEHA and MPHA award nomination form is now open! Access the nomination form here - please submit nominations by January 16, 2026.

The conference abstract application is also open - access the call for abstracts here. Submissions are due by December 17, 2025.

Questions? Please contact info@cphamt.org

Free Team Training Opportunity - Public Health Essentials

Cornell University’s Health Impacts Core (CHIC) is offering a free public health workforce development + retention opportunity that you and your staff might be interested in!

• On offer: free access to Public Health Essentials (PHE): Cohorts starting on December 8, 2025, and January 26, 2026.

• CHIC is aiming to enroll ~20 learning teams from local/tribal/county health departments who serve rural communities.

• A learning team is a group of ~2-6 staff who want to commit to enhancing their public health strategic skills together

Questions? Please contact health_impacts@cornell.edu.

Montana Tobacco Use Prevention Program Quality Improvement Funding Opportunity

The Montana Tobacco Use Prevention Program (MTUPP) is pleased to announce a $5,000 funding opportunity for behavioral health facilities in Montana.

This funding is designed to help behavioral health facilities create and sustain tobacco-free environments, directly supporting clients as they overcome tobacco dependence and promote their overall recovery.

• Award Amount: $5,000 per facility (contingent on funding availability).

• Project Scope: Complete two or three specific projects over a 12-month time period.

• Application Deadline: December 15, 2025.

Click here for the full announcement and application.

For more information, please contact: michaela.wolfinger@mt.gov

Climate Ready Tribes Grant 2025-2026 RFA

The National Indian Health Board (NIHB) is accepting applications for Tribes and Tribal organizations interested in engaging in climate adaptation work. Applicants must have capacity and leadership roles in emergency preparedness, health surveillance, and public health outreach, and seek to build or strengthen their role in climate and health resilience.

NIHB will fund up to three (3) Tribal governments, Tribal health departments, and/or Tribal health care facilities/health systems in amounts up to $20,000 each. Sub awardees must use funds to support climate and health adaptation activities.

The completed application is due at 11:59 PM Alaska Time on Friday, December 19, 2025. The project period will run from approximately January 1, 2026 – July 10, 2026.  Download the application materials here.

NIHB will host an optional pre-application webinar on Thursday, December 4, 2025 at 4:00 pm ET to answer questions about the grant and the application process. You may also contact environmentalhealth@nihb.org with questions.

Other Funding Opportunities

MTPHI’s quarterly Capacity Enhancing grant opportunity will re-open on January 2, 2026 - click here for the latest information and details.

As a reminder, MTPHI accepts applications for the Community Engagement grant opportunity on a rolling basis.

Questions? Contact grants@mtphi.org