AHRQ Health Services Research Demonstration and Dissemination Grants (R18) | PA 24 156

Opportunity Information: Apply for PA 24 156

The AHRQ Health Services Research Demonstration and Dissemination Grants (R18) program (Funding Opportunity Number PA 24-156) is a discretionary grant opportunity from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) that supports applied health services research designed to test, demonstrate, and spread evidence-based improvements in healthcare. The overall aim is to fund projects that align with AHRQ research priorities, especially work that measurably improves healthcare quality and patient safety, strengthens healthcare delivery and practice improvement, and advances whole-person healthcare delivery. In practical terms, this means AHRQ is looking for research that does not stop at generating findings, but instead helps implement, evaluate, and disseminate approaches that make care safer, higher-quality, and more effective in real-world settings.

A key feature of this opportunity is its broad view of where healthcare happens and who should be involved. AHRQ explicitly supports research across the full continuum of care, including hospitals, long-term care settings, ambulatory and outpatient care, home healthcare, pharmacy services, and the transitions between these settings where patients are often most vulnerable. Projects may be designed around implementation and workflow changes, safety interventions, delivery system redesign, improved coordination, or other strategies that can be demonstrated in operational environments and then shared for broader uptake. The NOFO also emphasizes partnership-based research, encouraging applicants to involve the people and organizations who will use or be affected by the results. These partners can include patients and families, clinicians and other frontline staff, healthcare administrators, policymakers, payers, healthcare systems and provider organizations, accreditors, and government entities at the local, state, and federal levels.

Eligibility is intentionally expansive and includes many types of U.S.-based organizations and governmental entities. Eligible applicants listed include state, county, and city or township governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; Native American tribal governments that are federally recognized; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; Native American tribal organizations (including those other than federally recognized tribal governments); nonprofit organizations (both with and without 501(c)(3) status, as long as they are not institutions of higher education in the nonprofit category listed); for-profit organizations (other than small businesses); and small businesses. The opportunity also calls out additional eligible applicant categories such as Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISISs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), faith-based and community-based organizations, regional organizations, eligible federal agencies, Indian/Native American tribal governments other than federally recognized, and U.S. territories or possessions.

At the same time, there are clear restrictions related to foreign participation. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities (foreign organizations) are not eligible to apply, and non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are also not eligible to apply under this announcement. In other words, the applicant organization and the proposed organizational components carrying out the work must be domestic.

From an administrative standpoint, this funding opportunity is categorized under the Health activity area (CFDA 93.226) and uses the grant funding instrument. The opportunity was created on February 6, 2024, and lists an original closing date of May 26, 2029, indicating an open period that may accommodate multiple submission cycles or extended availability depending on the agency's internal schedule and updates. The provided source data does not specify an award ceiling or the expected number of awards, so applicants would need to consult the full NOFO text for budget limits, project period parameters, review criteria, and any application due date structure (such as standard receipt dates or special cycles).

Overall, PA 24-156 is best understood as a flexible R18 mechanism for organizations that can conduct rigorous health services research in real care environments, demonstrate practical improvements tied to AHRQ priorities, and actively disseminate what works so it can be adopted beyond a single site or system.

• The Agency for Health Care Research and Quality in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "AHRQ Health Services Research Demonstration and Dissemination Grants (R18)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.226.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-02-06.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2029-05-26.
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, For-profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses, Others.

Apply for PA 24 156

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