Funder: Agency for Health Care Research and Quality
Due Dates: August 8, 2025 | December 8, 2025 (AHRQ F32 application deadlines)
Funding Amounts: Up to 3 years of postdoctoral support; includes stipend, tuition/fees, and institutional allowance (see current NRSA stipend levels).
Summary: Supports mentored postdoctoral research training in health services research to develop independent investigators, excluding leading independent clinical trials.
Key Information: Applicants may not propose to lead an independent clinical trial; research experience in a trial led by a sponsor/co-sponsor is allowed.
Description
This opportunity provides individual postdoctoral fellowships to enhance the research training of promising candidates in health services research. The program aims to develop a diverse pool of highly trained scientists who can address the nation’s health services and behavioral research needs, with a focus on areas relevant to the mission of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). Fellows receive mentored training under the guidance of experienced faculty, with the goal of transitioning to independent research careers.
Research topics must align with AHRQ’s mission to improve healthcare safety, quality, accessibility, equity, and affordability. Applicants are encouraged to address healthcare disparities and focus on priority populations. The fellowship does not permit applicants to lead independent clinical trials, but participation in a trial led by a sponsor or co-sponsor is permitted as part of the research experience.
Due Dates
- Next deadlines: August 8, 2025 | December 8, 2025
- Applications are accepted annually on April 8, August 8, and December 8.
- All applications are due by 5:00 PM local time of the applicant organization.
Funding Amount
- Duration: Up to 3 years of aggregate NRSA postdoctoral support (including any prior NRSA support).
- Budget: Includes stipend (subsistence allowance), tuition and fees (if required for research training or a formal degree), and an institutional allowance for expenses such as health insurance, research supplies, equipment, books, and travel.
- Stipend and allowance levels: Set annually; see current NRSA policy notices.
- Indirect costs: Not allowed on individual fellowships.
Eligibility
- Applicant: Must be a U.S. citizen, non-citizen national, or permanent resident by the time of award.
- Degree: Must have a PhD, MD, or equivalent doctoral degree from an accredited institution before activating the award.
- Institutions: Public or private nonprofit U.S. institutions of higher education; for-profit and foreign institutions are not eligible to apply as lead organizations.
- Sponsoring institution: Must provide a suitable research environment and resources for high-quality training.
- Sponsor: Applicants must identify a primary sponsor (mentor) with a strong record in research and mentorship; a sponsor team is allowed if advantageous.
- Level of effort: Full-time research training (typically 40 hours/week) is required.
- Clinical trials: Applicants may not propose to lead an independent clinical trial but may gain experience in a trial led by a sponsor/co-sponsor.
Application Process
- Application platform: Submit via Grants.gov, NIH ASSIST, or institutional system-to-system solutions.
- Instructions: Follow the Individual Fellowship SF424 (R&R) Application Guide and the specific NOFO instructions.
- Reference letters: Required and must be submitted directly through eRA Commons.
- Registrations: Applicant organizations must have active registrations in SAM, eRA Commons, and Grants.gov. The applicant (PD/PI) must have an eRA Commons account linked to an ORCID iD.
- Review process: Applications are peer-reviewed for scientific and technical merit, with emphasis on the applicant’s potential, training plan, sponsor(s), and institutional environment.
Additional Information
- Priority populations: Applications should address inclusion of AHRQ priority populations (e.g., racial/ethnic minorities, rural, low-income, women, children, elderly, persons with disabilities, LGBTQ+).
- Data management: A data management plan is required.
- Public access: Publications must be made publicly available in PubMed Central within 12 months of publication.
- Service payback: The first 12 months of postdoctoral NRSA support incur a service payback obligation.
- Resubmissions: One resubmission allowed; renewals are not permitted.
External Links
Contact Information
For additional details, see the AHRQ contact page.