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

Opportunity Information: Apply for PA 21 158

Using Innovative Digital Healthcare Solutions to Improve Quality at the Point of Care (R21/R33 - Clinical Trial Optional) is a discretionary grant opportunity from the Agency for Health Care Research and Quality (AHRQ) (CFDA 93.226) that focuses on research projects testing digital healthcare interventions designed to improve quality of care and the delivery of healthcare services right where care is provided. The core idea is to support practical, technology-enabled approaches that can make care safer, more effective, more timely, more patient-centered, and more efficient at the point of care, rather than technology for its own sake. The funding announcement encourages applicants to bring forward promising digital solutions and evaluate them through research that generates evidence about how well these tools work in real clinical or care delivery settings. Clinical trials are allowed but not required, which leaves room for a range of rigorous study designs appropriate to the maturity and risk level of the intervention.

A key feature of the announcement is its use of the Phased Innovation Award mechanism (R21/R33), which is built for projects that need an early stage period to develop, refine, and demonstrate feasibility before scaling up. The first phase (R21) can provide up to two years of support for initial developmental work, such as user-centered design, workflow integration planning, prototyping, early testing, feasibility studies, pilot evaluations, and building the operational and technical foundations needed to run a larger effort. If the project meets predefined milestones, it can transition into the second phase (R33), which 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 for adoption. In practice, this structure pushes applicants to be specific about measurable go/no-go milestones, what success looks like in the early phase, and how the later phase will produce credible, decision-grade findings for healthcare organizations and policymakers.

The opportunity is open to a wide range of applicant types, reflecting AHRQ's interest in solutions that can be developed and tested across many real-world contexts. Eligible applicants include state, county, city or township governments; 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 other than federally recognized governments; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; 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. The announcement also explicitly highlights additional eligible applicant categories such as 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), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible federal agencies, regional organizations, and U.S. territories or possessions. At the same time, it clearly states that 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.

Administratively, the listing identifies the funding instrument as a grant and the activity area as health. The funding opportunity number is PA 21 158, with an original closing date of 2021-02-05 and a creation date of 2021-02-03. The provided listing does not specify an award ceiling or the expected number of awards, indicating that those details either were not included in the excerpted source data or are provided in the full FOA. Overall, the program is best understood as 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, and then generating higher-confidence evidence through a structured, milestone-driven phased approach.

• The Agency for Health Care Research and Quality in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Using Innovative Digital Healthcare Solutions to Improve Quality at the Point of Care (R21/R33 - Clinical Trial Optional)" 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 2021-02-03.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2021-02-05. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• 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 21 158

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