AHRQ announces Novel, High-Impact Studies Evaluating Health System and Healthcare Professional Responsiveness to COVID-19

Deadline: 15 June 2020

This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) invites grant applications for funding to support novel, high-impact studies evaluating the responsiveness of healthcare delivery systems, healthcare professionals, and the overall U.S. healthcare system to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Agency for Health Care Research and Quality (AHRQ) is interested in funding critical research focused on evaluating topics such as effects on quality, safety, and value of health system response to COVID-19; the role of primary care practices and professionals during the COVID-19 epidemic; understanding how the response to COVID-19 affected socially vulnerable populations and people with multiple chronic conditions; and digital healthcare including innovations and challenges encountered in the rapid expansion of telehealth response to COVID-19.

AHRQ encourages multi-method, rapid-cycle research with the ability to: produce and disseminate initial findings (e.g. observations, lessons learned, or findings) within 6 months after award and then regularly throughout the remainder of the award period.

Funding Information

The total costs (direct and indirect) for a project awarded under this FOA will not exceed $500,000 in any given year and $1,000,000 for the entire project period.
The project period may not exceed 2 years.

Eligibility Criteria

Higher Education Institutions
- Public/State Controlled Institutions of Higher Education
- Private Institutions of Higher Education
- The following types of Higher Education Institutions are always encouraged to apply for AHRQ support as Public or Private Institutions of Higher Education:
  - Hispanic-serving Institutions
  - Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)
  - Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs)
  - Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions
  - Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs)
Nonprofits Other Than Institutions of Higher Education
- Nonprofits with 501(c)(3) IRS Status (Other than Institutions of Higher Education)
- Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) IRS Status (Other than Institutions of Higher Education)
Governments
- State Governments
- County Governments
- City or Township Governments
- Special District Governments
- Indian/Native American Tribal Governments (Federally Recognized)
- Indian/Native American Tribal Governments (Other than Federally Recognized)
- Eligible Agencies of the Federal Government
- U.S. Territory or Possession
Other
- Independent School Districts
- Public Housing Authorities/Indian Housing Authorities
- Native American Tribal Organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments)
- Faith-based or Community-based Organizations
- Regional Organizations
- AHRQ’s authorizing legislation does not allow for-profit organizations to be eligible to lead applications under this research mechanism. For-profit organizations may participate in projects as members of consortia or as subcontractors only. Because the purpose of this program is to improve healthcare in the United States, foreign institutions may participate in projects as members of consortia or as subcontractors only.
- Applications submitted by for-profit organizations or foreign institutions will not be reviewed. Organizations described in section 501(c) 4 of the Internal Revenue Code that engage in lobbying are not eligible.
Foreign Institutions
- Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entities (Foreign Institutions) are not eligible to apply.
- Non-domestic (non-U.S.) components of U.S. Organizations are not eligible to apply.