Accelerating Development of Methods for the Study of Complex Patients (R21) | Apply Online

FAQs: Accelerating Development of Methods for the Study of Complex Patients (R21) - RFA HS 09 002

What is this funding opportunity?

This is a discretionary research grant opportunity from the Agency for Health Care Research and Quality (AHRQ) titled "Accelerating Development of Methods for the Study of Complex Patients (R21)." The Funding Opportunity Number is RFA HS 09 002, and it uses the R21 research grant mechanism.

What is the main goal of RFA HS 09 002?

The main goal is to accelerate progress in developing and refining methods for studying and managing "complex patients" by encouraging collaboration across existing AHRQ-funded projects. The focus is on producing findings and methods that are broadly useful beyond any single project.

How does this opportunity relate to earlier AHRQ funding?

This announcement is a targeted follow-on to an earlier AHRQ initiative called "Optimizing Prevention and Healthcare Management for the Complex Patient (R21)," originally funded under RFA HS 08 003. Instead of recruiting brand-new teams, RFA HS 09 002 is intended to help the already-funded HS 08 003 investigators collaborate across awards to move faster and share insights.

Who are "complex patients" in the context of this grant?

"Complex patients" refers to patients who often have multiple chronic conditions, competing health risks, and complicated care needs. These patients may not be well served by standard one-disease-at-a-time approaches because they face overlapping treatments, risks, and guideline recommendations.

What kinds of collaborations is AHRQ encouraging?

AHRQ is encouraging inter-awardee collaborations across HS 08 003 projects. Collaborations are especially encouraged when they combine (1) strong primary care and health services research expertise and (2) access to large, clinically rich datasets, with the intent of generating methods and evidence that can generalize across settings and populations.

Is the focus simply on analyzing big datasets?

No. The emphasis is not on "big data" analysis for its own sake. The intent is to use large, clinically rich datasets to develop and refine research methods that support better decision-making about preventive services and care management for patients with multiple conditions and competing needs.

What types of outcomes is AHRQ expecting from funded work?

A key expected outcome is generalizable information about prioritization. This includes evidence and methods that help answer practical questions such as which preventive services to address first, how to sequence or tailor care management activities, and how to weigh benefits and burdens when multiple interventions compete for time and attention.

What does "generalizable" mean in this announcement?

It means the methods and findings should be useful across settings and populations, rather than being limited to one clinic, one dataset, or a narrow patient subgroup. The goal is broader applicability beyond a single project.

What grant mechanism is used, and what does it imply about project scope?

The opportunity uses the R21 mechanism, which typically supports exploratory and developmental work. In this context, it aligns with early-stage method development, proof-of-concept analyses, and novel collaborative approaches that can later support larger-scale efforts.

How much funding is available under this opportunity?

The announcement listed an estimated total funding amount of $500,000 and an award ceiling of $300,000.

Is cost sharing or matching required?

No. The announcement explicitly states that cost sharing or matching is not required.

When was the opportunity posted, and when were applications due?

The opportunity was posted on January 23, 2009. The application closing date was March 23, 2009.

What does it mean that the opportunity was archived?

The announcement was archived on April 23, 2009. Based on the provided information, this indicates the opportunity is no longer active as an open call under those dates.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility includes a wide range of organization types (such as state and local governments, public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, nonprofits with and without 501(c)(3) status, and certain tribal entities). However, there is a critical additional requirement: applicants must be institutions/organizations that were awarded a grant under AHRQ RFA HS 08 003. In practice, only current HS 08 003 awardees could apply.

If many organization categories are listed as eligible, why is eligibility still narrow?

Because the listed organization categories are secondary to the key restriction that the applicant institution must already be an HS 08 003 awardee. The program is designed as a collaboration accelerator for an existing funded cohort, not as an open competition for new entrants.

Are federal agencies eligible to apply?

The announcement notes that certain federal agencies may be eligible and encourages potential applicants to contact program staff if there is uncertainty about whether a proposed collaboration fits the eligibility rules.

What is the practical intent of limiting eligibility to HS 08 003 awardees?

The intent is to leverage an existing network of funded investigators and speed progress by promoting collaboration across awards, including sharing methods and data insights, rather than starting over with new teams entering the topic area.

What topic areas are emphasized within complex patient research?

The emphasis is on methods and evidence that help clinicians and health systems make better decisions about preventive services and care management when patients have multiple chronic conditions and competing interventions.

What kinds of real-world questions does the grant aim to help answer?

The announcement highlights prioritization questions such as: which preventive services to focus on first, how to sequence or tailor care management activities, and how to weigh benefits and burdens when patients face overlapping treatments, risks, and guidelines.

What is the best one-sentence way to describe this opportunity?

It is a collaboration accelerator designed to help existing AHRQ HS 08 003 awardees work together to develop broadly applicable methods and evidence for prioritizing prevention and care management for complex patients.