Using Innovative Digital Healthcare Solutions to Improve Quality at the Point of Care (R21/R33 - Clinical Trial Optional) | PA 21 158

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the name of this grant opportunity?

The opportunity is titled "Using Innovative Digital Healthcare Solutions to Improve Quality at the Point of Care (R21/R33 - Clinical Trial Optional)."

Which agency is offering this grant?

This is a discretionary grant opportunity from the Agency for Health Care Research and Quality (AHRQ).

What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?

The CFDA number listed for this program is 93.226.

What is the funding opportunity number?

The funding opportunity number provided is PA 21 158.

What type of funding instrument is this?

The listing identifies the funding instrument as a grant.

What is the main focus of the program?

The program supports research projects that test digital healthcare interventions intended to improve the quality of care and the delivery of healthcare services at the point of care (where care is actually provided).

What does "point of care" mean in this announcement?

In this context, "point of care" refers to real clinical or care delivery settings where healthcare is delivered, emphasizing improvements that happen directly within care workflows and operational environments.

What kinds of improvements is AHRQ looking for these digital solutions to achieve?

The announcement emphasizes practical, technology-enabled approaches that can make care safer, more effective, more timely, more patient-centered, and more efficient at the point of care.

Is this opportunity funding technology development for its own sake?

No. The core idea is to support digital healthcare tools and interventions that improve care quality and healthcare delivery in practice, not technology advancement without clear quality-of-care benefits.

What kinds of activities are applicants expected to do under this program?

Applicants are encouraged to propose promising digital solutions and evaluate them through research that generates evidence about how well these tools work in real clinical or care delivery settings.

Are clinical trials required?

No. Clinical trials are allowed but not required ("Clinical Trial Optional"), leaving room for rigorous study designs that match the maturity and risk level of the intervention.

What award mechanism does this program use?

The opportunity uses the Phased Innovation Award mechanism (R21/R33).

How does the R21/R33 phased structure work?

The structure supports projects that benefit from an early stage period to develop, refine, and demonstrate feasibility (R21) before expanding to a larger effort that generates stronger evidence (R33), provided the project meets predefined milestones.

How long is the first phase (R21), and what is it intended to support?

The R21 phase can provide up to two years of support for early developmental work such as user-centered design, workflow integration planning, prototyping, early testing, feasibility studies, pilot evaluations, and building operational and technical foundations for a larger effort.

How long is the second phase (R33), and what is it intended to support?

The R33 phase can provide up to three additional years to expand activities such as broader implementation, more definitive evaluation, testing in additional sites or populations, and generating stronger evidence about impact and potential adoption.

Do projects automatically move from R21 to R33?

No. Transition from R21 to R33 depends on meeting predefined milestones (often described as go/no-go milestones) established for the early phase.

What does AHRQ expect regarding milestones?

The phased approach pushes applicants to be specific about measurable go/no-go milestones, define what success looks like in the early phase, and explain how the later phase will produce credible, decision-grade findings for healthcare organizations and policymakers.

What is meant by "decision-grade findings" in this context?

Based on the listing, this refers to evidence strong enough to inform real decisions by healthcare organizations and policymakers about whether and how a digital intervention should be adopted or scaled.

Who is eligible to apply?

The opportunity is open to a wide range of applicant types, including various government entities, higher education institutions (public and private), tribal governments and tribal organizations, nonprofits (with and without 501(c)(3) status, other than higher education institutions), for-profit organizations (other than small businesses), small businesses, and other eligible entities as described in the FOA.

Are state and local governments eligible?

Yes. Eligible applicants include state, county, city or township governments, as well as special district governments.

Are school districts and higher education institutions eligible?

Yes. Eligible applicants include independent school districts, public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, and private institutions of higher education.

Are tribal entities eligible?

Yes. Eligible applicants include federally recognized Native American tribal governments and tribal organizations other than federally recognized governments.

Are housing authorities eligible?

Yes. Public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities are listed as eligible applicants.

Are nonprofits eligible?

Yes. Nonprofits with and without 501(c)(3) status (other than higher education institutions) are included among eligible applicants.

Are for-profit organizations eligible?

Yes. For-profit organizations other than small businesses are listed as eligible, and small businesses are also listed as eligible.

Are faith-based or community-based organizations eligible?

Yes. The announcement explicitly highlights faith-based or community-based organizations among additional eligible applicant categories.

Are minority-serving institutions and similar categories explicitly included?

Yes. The listing highlights categories including Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISI), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), and Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs).

Are federal agencies eligible to apply?

Yes. Eligible federal agencies are explicitly highlighted among additional eligible applicant categories.

Are U.S. territories eligible?

Yes. The listing highlights U.S. territories or possessions as eligible.

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

No. The announcement states that non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities (foreign institutions) are not eligible to apply.

Can a U.S. organization include a non-U.S. component in the project?

No. The listing states that non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible.

What is the activity area for this funding opportunity?

The activity area is identified as health.

Does the listing provide an award ceiling?

No. The provided listing does not specify an award ceiling; the excerpt indicates the amount may be available in the full FOA rather than the excerpted source data.

Does the listing state the expected number of awards?

No. The provided listing does not include the expected number of awards, suggesting those details may be in the full FOA.

What are the key dates shown in the listing?

The listing shows an original closing date of 2021-02-05 and a creation date of 2021-02-03.

In plain terms, what is this program trying to help applicants do?

Overall, it is an AHRQ-supported pathway for taking a strong digital health idea that could improve care at the point of delivery, proving it can work in practice during an early phase, and then generating higher-confidence evidence through a structured, milestone-driven phased approach.