Improving Quality of Care and Patient Outcomes During Care Transitions (R01) | PA 20 068

Opportunity Information: Apply for PA 20 068

The Agency for Health Care Research and Quality (AHRQ) is offering a discretionary research grant opportunity titled "Improving Quality of Care and Patient Outcomes During Care Transitions (R01)" under Funding Opportunity Number PA 20 068 (CFDA 93.226). This FOA supports health services research projects that go beyond describing problems and instead rigorously test interventions designed to improve communication and coordination when patients move between care settings, such as from hospital to home, hospital to skilled nursing facilities, or between different clinical teams and providers. The overall aim is to generate strong evidence on what actually works to make transitions safer and more effective, with the expectation that better coordination and clearer communication will translate into improved patient outcomes and quality of care.

The focus of the work is on care transitions, which are widely recognized as high-risk moments for patients because information can be lost, responsibilities can be unclear, follow-up plans may not be completed, and medication or treatment changes can be misunderstood. Through an R01 mechanism, the FOA is looking for robust, methodologically sound studies that test "promising interventions" rather than exploratory concepts alone. In practical terms, this implies research designs that can credibly measure impact, such as controlled trials, well-constructed quasi-experimental designs, or other rigorous evaluation approaches appropriate to real-world health care settings. Projects should be positioned to assess whether an intervention improves coordination processes (for example, handoffs, discharge planning, information transfer, and accountability) and whether those process improvements lead to meaningful patient-centered outcomes.

Eligibility is broad and includes many types of U.S.-based organizations and governments. Eligible applicants 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 (federally recognized); public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; Native American tribal organizations other than federally recognized tribal governments; nonprofit organizations with and without 501(c)(3) IRS status (as long as they are not institutions of higher education in that nonprofit category); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; small businesses; and other organizations as allowed by the FOA. The announcement also explicitly notes additional eligible applicant types, including faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible federal government agencies, and a range of minority-serving institutions such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving institutions, Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, and Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISISs). Regional organizations and U.S. territories or possessions are also included among the entities that may apply.

At the same time, the FOA sets clear limits related to 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. While the text mentions "Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entities (Foreign Organizations)" in the list of "other eligible applicants," it then explicitly states that foreign institutions are not eligible to apply and that non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations are not eligible. The practical takeaway is that the applicant organization must be domestic, and the work supported under this FOA must not be carried out through non-U.S. organizational components.

Key administrative details included in the source information are that the funding instrument type is a grant and the activity category is health. The FOA was created on 2019-12-04, and an original closing date listed is 2022-12-06. The provided source data does not specify an award ceiling or the expected number of awards, so applicants would need to consult the full FOA text for budget expectations, project period limits, review criteria, and any specific topic priorities or required outcome measures. Overall, the opportunity is aimed at building practical, generalizable evidence for interventions that make transitions of care more coordinated, more communicative, and ultimately safer for patients.

• The Agency for Health Care Research and Quality in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Improving Quality of Care and Patient Outcomes During Care Transitions (R01)" 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 2019-12-04.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2022-12-06. (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 20 068

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