AHRQ Small Health Services Research Grant Program (R03)

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Description

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) offers the Small Health Services Research Grant Program (R03) to fund discrete, well-defined health services research projects that can be completed within two years and a budget limit of $100,000 total costs. This program supports preliminary or short-term studies such as pilot or feasibility studies, secondary data analyses, development of research methodologies, or new research technologies.

Research funded under this program must align with AHRQ’s mission to improve healthcare quality, patient safety, healthcare delivery, practice improvement, and whole-person healthcare delivery. Projects may be conducted in any healthcare setting, including hospitals, long-term care, ambulatory care, home healthcare, pharmacies, and care transitions.

The program encourages research involving diverse partners such as patients, families, clinicians, policymakers, payers, healthcare organizations, and government entities. Inclusion of priority populations—such as underserved communities, minorities, women, children, elderly, persons with disabilities, and others—is a critical component.

Applications are limited to 6 pages for the Research Strategy section, and preliminary data are not required, especially for pilot or feasibility studies. The R03 mechanism is non-renewable.

Due Dates

• First application due date: June 16, 2024
• Standard NIH due dates apply thereafter
• Expiration date: July 18, 2029

Applicants are encouraged to submit early to allow time for corrections. Applications are due by 5:00 PM local time of the applicant organization.

Funding Amount

• Maximum budget: $100,000 total costs (direct + indirect) for the entire project period
• Project period: Up to 2 years
• Budgets exceeding $100,000 will not be reviewed
• Number of awards depends on available appropriations and meritorious applications

Eligibility

Eligible Applicants

• Public and private institutions of higher education (including HBCUs, Hispanic-serving institutions, tribal colleges, and others)
• Nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education)
• State, county, city, township, and special district governments
• Federally recognized and other Native American tribal governments and organizations
• Federal agencies and U.S. territories
• Independent school districts, public housing authorities, faith-based and community-based organizations, and regional organizations

Restrictions

• For-profit organizations cannot lead applications but may participate as subcontractors or consortium members
• Foreign organizations and non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible to apply as primary applicants
• Organizations engaged in lobbying under section 501(c)(4) are not eligible

Required Registrations

• System for Award Management (SAM) with active registration
• Unique Entity Identifier (UEI)
• eRA Commons account for PD(s)/PI(s) and Signing Officials
• Grants.gov registration

Application Process

• Applications must be submitted electronically via Grants.gov and tracked through eRA Commons
• Use NIH ASSIST, Grants.gov Workspace, or institutional system-to-system solutions for application preparation and submission
• Follow the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide Research (R) Instructions, except where this NOFO provides specific guidance
• Research Strategy section limited to 6 pages
• Letter of Intent is not required
• Include a Data Management Plan as part of the Resource Sharing Plan
• Human subjects and clinical trials information must be included if applicable
• IRB approval is not required prior to peer review but initiation is encouraged for timely research start
• Applications exceeding budget or page limits will not be reviewed
• No paper applications accepted

Additional Information

• AHRQ emphasizes inclusion of priority populations in research design and analysis
• Public access policy requires submission of final peer-reviewed manuscripts to PubMed Central within 12 months of publication
• Confidentiality protections under AHRQ statute and HIPAA apply to identifiable data
• Awardees may copyright or patent products developed but must grant AHRQ a royalty-free license
• Pre-award costs up to 90 days before project start may be allowable at recipient risk
• Annual progress and financial reports required
• Awards subject to federal regulations including whistleblower protections and nondiscrimination laws

External Links

• AHRQ Small Health Services Research Grant Program (R03) - Full NOFO
• AHRQ Funding Policies and Guidance
• AHRQ Priority Populations Policy
• AHRQ Data Management Plan Policy
• NIH SF424 (R&R) Application Guide
• Grants.gov

Contact Information