Opportunity Information: Apply for PA 17 247

The grant opportunity titled Implementation and Evaluation of New Health Information Technology (IT) Strategies for Collecting and Using Patient-Reported Outcome (PRO) Measures (U18) is a discretionary funding program from the Agency for Health Care Research and Quality (AHRQ). Issued as Funding Opportunity Announcement PA 17-247, it supports cooperative agreement projects (U18), meaning awardees should expect substantial involvement from the funding agency during the project. The overall aim is to push forward practical, real-world research that tests innovative and collaborative approaches for collecting patient-reported outcome measures and then using those measures in care delivery, with an emphasis on primary care and other outpatient or ambulatory care environments.

At the core of the FOA is the idea that PRO measures are most useful when they can be captured efficiently, integrated into clinical workflows, and turned into actionable information for clinicians, care teams, and patients. The announcement encourages applicants to use new or emerging health IT strategies to improve how PROs are gathered (for example, through digital tools and modern data-collection methods) and how the resulting information is applied in routine care. The intention is not only to measure outcomes, but to make those patient-reported data more usable for clinical decision-making, follow-up, quality improvement, and potentially broader system learning in outpatient settings.

The program is designed to stimulate innovation and collaboration, which signals that AHRQ is looking for projects that bring together multiple stakeholders and disciplines, such as clinicians, informaticians, researchers, health system leaders, and possibly community partners. Because the focus is on implementation and evaluation, strong applications would typically be expected to move beyond theory and demonstrate how a health IT-enabled PRO approach works in practice, including barriers, facilitators, workflow fit, data quality, usability, and the impact of using PRO data on care processes or patient-centered outcomes in ambulatory settings.

Eligibility is broad and explicitly includes many types of domestic applicants. Eligible applicants listed in the opportunity include state, county, city, township, and special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; tribal organizations that are not federally recognized tribal governments; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education); for-profit organizations (other than small businesses); small businesses; and individuals, with an overall designation of unrestricted eligibility. The FOA also highlights additional eligible applicant categories such as Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions; Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs); faith-based or community-based organizations; Hispanic-serving institutions; Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs); Indian/Native American tribal governments other than federally recognized; regional organizations; Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs); eligible agencies of the federal government; and U.S. territories or possessions.

At the same time, the FOA places clear limits on foreign participation. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities (foreign institutions) are not eligible to apply, and non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are also not eligible to apply. However, foreign components may still participate in a limited way: they can be involved as part of a consortium or as subcontractors, consistent with the HHS Grants Policy Statement definition of foreign components. In other words, the applicant organization must be domestic and lead the project, but certain international partners may contribute under subcontract or consortium arrangements when appropriate and allowable.

Administratively, the opportunity is categorized under the health activity area and is associated with CFDA number 93.226. The FOA was created on April 3, 2017, and the original closing date listed is September 26, 2020. The award ceiling shown is $400,000, indicating the maximum funding level anticipated per award under the terms presented. The listing notes “ExpectedAwards:” without a number, which suggests the number of awards may have varied by available funds and application quality or may not have been specified in the excerpt provided.

In practical terms, this FOA is geared toward organizations that can design, implement, and rigorously evaluate health IT approaches that make PRO collection and use more feasible and meaningful in everyday outpatient care. It is especially relevant to health systems, academic or clinical research groups, primary care networks, and community-based organizations that can demonstrate access to ambulatory care settings, the technical and operational ability to deploy PRO-related technology, and an evaluation plan that shows what changes when PRO data are collected and used in more advanced, integrated, or patient-centered ways.

  • The Agency for Health Care Research and Quality in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Implementation and Evaluation of New Health Information Technology (IT) Strategies for Collecting and Using Patient-Reported Outcome (PRO) Measures (U18)" 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 2017-04-03.
  • Applicants must submit their applications by 2020-09-26. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
  • Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $400,000.00 in funding.
  • 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, Individuals, For-profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses, Others, Unrestricted.
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FAQs: Implementation and Evaluation of New Health Information Technology (IT) Strategies for Collecting and Using Patient-Reported Outcome (PRO) Measures (U18) - AHRQ (PA 17-247)

What is this funding opportunity?

This is a discretionary funding opportunity from the Agency for Health Care Research and Quality (AHRQ) titled Implementation and Evaluation of New Health Information Technology (IT) Strategies for Collecting and Using Patient-Reported Outcome (PRO) Measures (U18), issued as Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) PA 17-247.

What is the purpose of this FOA?

The purpose is to advance practical, real-world research that tests innovative and collaborative health IT approaches for (1) collecting patient-reported outcome (PRO) measures and (2) using those PRO data in care delivery. The emphasis is on making PROs efficient to capture, easy to integrate into routine workflows, and genuinely usable for decisions and follow-up in outpatient care.

What type of award mechanism is used?

The FOA uses a cooperative agreement (U18) mechanism.

What does a cooperative agreement (U18) mean for applicants?

A cooperative agreement means awardees should expect substantial involvement from AHRQ during the project, compared with a standard grant where the funder is typically less involved in day-to-day project direction.

What settings are prioritized for these projects?

The FOA emphasizes primary care and other outpatient or ambulatory care environments.

What are patient-reported outcome (PRO) measures in the context of this FOA?

Within the FOA, PRO measures are framed as patient-reported data that become most valuable when they can be captured efficiently, integrated into clinical workflows, and converted into actionable information for clinicians, care teams, and patients.

What kinds of activities does this FOA encourage?

The FOA encourages projects that use new or emerging health IT strategies to improve how PROs are collected (for example, digital tools and modern data-collection methods) and how those data are used during routine care.

Is the focus only on measuring PROs, or also on using them?

The focus is explicitly on both: collecting PROs and making the information usable in routine care for clinical decision-making, follow-up, quality improvement, and potentially broader learning in outpatient settings.

What does AHRQ mean by "implementation and evaluation" in this program?

Based on the FOA description, applicants are expected to move beyond theory and demonstrate how a health IT-enabled PRO approach works in practice, including evaluation elements such as barriers and facilitators, workflow fit, data quality, usability, and the impact of using PRO data on care processes or patient-centered outcomes in ambulatory settings.

What kinds of partners or stakeholders are encouraged for proposed projects?

The program is designed to stimulate innovation and collaboration and signals interest in multi-stakeholder projects that may include clinicians, informaticians, researchers, health system leaders, and possibly community partners.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is described as broad and unrestricted for domestic applicants. Eligible applicants explicitly include:

  • State, county, city, township, and special district governments
  • Independent school districts
  • Public and state-controlled institutions of higher education
  • Private institutions of higher education
  • Federally recognized Native American tribal governments
  • Tribal organizations that are not federally recognized tribal governments
  • Public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities
  • Nonprofit organizations (with or without 501(c)(3) status, other than institutions of higher education)
  • For-profit organizations (other than small businesses)
  • Small businesses
  • Individuals

Are any additional applicant categories called out as eligible?

Yes. The FOA additionally highlights eligibility for categories such as:

  • Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions
  • Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs)
  • Faith-based or community-based organizations
  • Hispanic-serving institutions
  • Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)
  • Indian/Native American tribal governments other than federally recognized
  • Regional organizations
  • Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs)
  • Eligible agencies of the federal government
  • U.S. territories or possessions

Are foreign (non-U.S.) organizations eligible to apply as the applicant?

No. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities (foreign institutions) are not eligible to apply as the applicant organization.

Can a U.S. organization apply if part of the work will be done outside the U.S.?

The FOA states that non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible to apply. This indicates that the applicant must be domestic and that non-domestic components are not eligible as applicants.

Can foreign partners participate in any way?

Yes, in a limited way. The FOA notes that foreign components may participate as part of a consortium or as subcontractors, consistent with the HHS Grants Policy Statement definition of foreign components. The domestic organization must lead as the applicant.

Which federal agency is sponsoring this opportunity?

The sponsoring agency is the Agency for Health Care Research and Quality (AHRQ).

What is the FOA number?

The FOA number is PA 17-247.

What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?

The opportunity is associated with CFDA 93.226.

What is the activity area for this opportunity?

The listing categorizes the opportunity under the health activity area.

When was the FOA created?

The FOA was created on April 3, 2017.

What is the closing date shown in the information provided?

The original closing date listed is September 26, 2020.

What is the maximum award amount (award ceiling)?

The award ceiling shown is $400,000, which reflects the maximum funding level anticipated per award under the terms presented in the provided information.

How many awards will be made?

The excerpt shows "ExpectedAwards:" without a number. Based on the provided information alone, the number of awards is not specified.

What kinds of organizations are a strong fit for this FOA?

Based on the FOA description, strong-fit applicants include organizations that can design, implement, and evaluate health IT approaches for PRO collection and use in routine outpatient care, such as health systems, academic or clinical research groups, primary care networks, and community-based organizations with access to ambulatory care settings and the ability to deploy and study PRO-related technology in practice.

What does the FOA suggest about the expected approach to research?

The FOA emphasizes practical, real-world research that tests approaches in operational clinical environments, with attention to implementation details (workflow, usability, data quality, barriers/facilitators) and what changes when PRO data are collected and used in more integrated ways.

What is the main value proposition of PRO data in this FOA?

The FOA positions PRO data as most valuable when they are not just collected, but also integrated and translated into actionable information that supports clinicians, care teams, and patients during outpatient care.

Does the FOA indicate that projects should involve collaboration?

Yes. The FOA is described as designed to stimulate innovation and collaboration, implying that multi-disciplinary and multi-stakeholder project teams are encouraged.

What kinds of outcomes or impacts are projects expected to examine?

From the provided description, projects are expected to examine impacts such as changes in care processes and/or patient-centered outcomes when PRO data are collected and used in ambulatory care, along with implementation factors like workflow fit and usability.

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