Opportunity Information: Apply for PA 14 004
Apply for PA 14 004
- The Agency for Health Care Research and Quality in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Advances in Patient Safety through Simulation Research (R18)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.226 Research on Healthcare Costs, Quality and Outcomes.
- This funding opportunity was created on Nov 21, 2013 and posted on Nov 21, 2013.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Sep 25, 2016. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Eligible applicants include: Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments) Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification) City or township governments State governments Public and State controlled institutions of higher education County governments Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized).
- Other Eligible Applicants include the following Faith based or Community based Organizations Indian/Native American Tribal Governments (Other than Federally Recognized) Non domestic (non U.S.) Entities (Foreign Institutions) are not eligible to apply.
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Opportunity Summary:
Advances in Patient Safety through Simulation Research (R18) is a discretionary grant opportunity from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) focused on improving the safety of health care delivery by using simulation as a research and development tool. The program is designed to support a wide range of projects that not only build new simulation approaches, but also rigorously test and evaluate them to show how they can prevent harm, reduce errors, and strengthen clinical performance in real-world care. The central idea is to use simulation to learn, measure, and improve without exposing actual patients to unnecessary risk.
AHRQ frames simulation broadly and welcomes many formats and levels of sophistication. This includes high-fidelity mannequins and full clinical environment mockups, task trainers for specific procedures, virtual reality or computer-based simulation, and standardized patients, among other methods. The opportunity emphasizes that simulation is valuable because it can recreate realistic clinical challenges for individuals and teams, letting participants experience the consequences of decisions and actions in real time. Because the environment is controlled and safe, clinicians can practice rare, high-risk, or complex situations, receive feedback, and repeat scenarios until performance improves, all without jeopardizing patient safety.
Beyond training, the announcement highlights simulation as a practical testing ground for health care systems and technology. Applicants are encouraged to use simulation to examine clinical workflows, communication patterns, handoffs, and team coordination, as well as to stress-test new procedures, devices, or health IT before broad rollout. A key objective is to uncover failure modes and latent safety threats that might otherwise remain hidden until they cause harm in routine care. In this way, simulation functions as a proactive patient safety strategy, helping organizations identify weak points, redesign processes, and validate improvements under realistic conditions.
Another major area of interest is the development of valid and reliable measures of clinical competency and performance. AHRQ signals openness to projects that use simulation to create and validate assessment tools that can objectively evaluate skills, teamwork, decision-making, and other aspects of performance. The announcement notes potential downstream uses such as credentialing and certification, suggesting that well-designed simulation-based assessments could support more consistent and safety-focused standards for demonstrating clinical competence.
The grant seeks diversity in the types of proposals submitted. AHRQ explicitly welcomes applications spanning different simulation techniques, clinical settings (for example, inpatient, outpatient, emergency, surgical, or other environments), provider groups (such as physicians, nurses, pharmacists, allied health professionals, trainees, or interprofessional teams), patient conditions, and specific threats to safety. The program also indicates interest in projects relevant to priority populations, which aligns with AHRQ's broader mission to improve quality and safety for groups that may face higher risks or disparities in care.
Administratively, this opportunity is listed as Funding Opportunity Number PA 14 004, with the title Advances in Patient Safety through Simulation Research (R18). It uses the grant funding instrument and falls under the health activity category, with CFDA number 93.226 (Research on Healthcare Costs, Quality and Outcomes). The posted date and creation date are November 21, 2013, with an original and current closing date of September 25, 2016, and an archive date of October 26, 2016. The announcement specifies there is no cost sharing or matching requirement, which means applicants are not required to contribute non-federal matching funds as a condition of the award.
Eligible applicants include a mix of public entities and organizations. The eligibility list includes state governments, county governments, city or township governments, public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, federally recognized tribal governments, and Native American tribal organizations other than federally recognized tribal governments. The additional eligibility information also allows faith-based or community-based organizations to apply. Foreign institutions and other non-U.S. entities are not eligible to apply under this announcement.
For applicants or readers seeking the full official announcement, the listing provides an additional information link to the NIH Grants Guide page for PA 14 004. For technical issues accessing or linking to the announcement, the contact provided is the NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) Webmaster at FBOWebmaster@OD.NIH.GOV.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the "Advances in Patient Safety through Simulation Research (R18)" opportunity?
It is a discretionary grant opportunity from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) that supports research and development projects using simulation to improve the safety of health care delivery. The focus is on building, testing, and evaluating simulation approaches that can prevent harm, reduce errors, and strengthen clinical performance in real-world care.
What is the main purpose of using simulation in this program?
The program emphasizes simulation as a way to learn, measure, and improve health care performance without exposing real patients to unnecessary risk. Simulation allows realistic clinical challenges to be recreated in a controlled environment so individuals and teams can practice, receive feedback, and improve safely.
What kinds of simulation does AHRQ consider acceptable under this opportunity?
AHRQ frames simulation broadly and welcomes many formats and levels of sophistication. Examples mentioned include high-fidelity mannequins, full clinical environment mockups, task trainers for specific procedures, virtual reality or computer-based simulation, and standardized patients.
Is this grant only for training clinicians?
No. While training is a component, the opportunity also highlights simulation as a research and development tool for testing health care systems, workflows, communication patterns, handoffs, team coordination, and even new procedures, devices, or health IT before broad implementation.
What types of patient safety problems can simulation projects address?
The announcement supports projects aimed at preventing harm, reducing errors, improving clinical performance, and uncovering failure modes and latent safety threats that could otherwise remain hidden until they cause harm during routine care.
How does simulation help identify "latent safety threats" or failure modes?
By recreating realistic clinical conditions in a controlled setting, simulation can stress-test processes, technologies, and team interactions. This makes it easier to surface weak points, communication breakdowns, workflow problems, and other hidden risks before they affect real patients.
Can projects focus on testing new technology or health IT?
Yes. Applicants are encouraged to use simulation to stress-test new procedures, devices, or health IT before broad rollout, with the goal of identifying failure modes and validating improvements under realistic conditions.
Does the opportunity support research on clinical workflows and teamwork?
Yes. The announcement explicitly encourages use of simulation to examine clinical workflows, communication patterns, handoffs, and team coordination.
Does AHRQ encourage development of performance or competency assessments using simulation?
Yes. A major area of interest is developing valid and reliable measures of clinical competency and performance. The opportunity notes that simulation-based assessment tools may objectively evaluate skills, teamwork, decision-making, and other performance factors.
Are simulation-based assessment tools expected to have real-world uses beyond research?
The announcement notes potential downstream uses such as credentialing and certification, suggesting that well-designed simulation-based assessments could help support more consistent, safety-focused standards for demonstrating clinical competence.
What types of clinical settings are appropriate for proposals?
AHRQ welcomes applications spanning many settings, including inpatient, outpatient, emergency, surgical, or other environments.
Which provider groups or teams can be the focus of proposed projects?
The opportunity welcomes projects involving physicians, nurses, pharmacists, allied health professionals, trainees, and interprofessional teams.
Does AHRQ require a particular simulation technique or platform?
No. The program encourages diversity in proposal types and explicitly welcomes different simulation techniques and levels of sophistication.
Does the opportunity mention any special interest in certain patient groups?
Yes. The program indicates interest in projects relevant to priority populations, aligning with AHRQ's mission to improve quality and safety for groups that may face higher risks or disparities in care.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number for this announcement?
The Funding Opportunity Number is PA 14 004.
What is the official title of the funding opportunity?
The title is "Advances in Patient Safety through Simulation Research (R18)."
What funding instrument does this opportunity use?
It uses the grant funding instrument.
What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?
The CFDA number listed is 93.226, "Research on Healthcare Costs, Quality and Outcomes."
When was this opportunity posted and created?
The posted date and creation date are both November 21, 2013.
What are the closing and archive dates shown for this announcement?
The original and current closing date listed is September 25, 2016, and the archive date is October 26, 2016.
Is cost sharing or matching required to apply?
No. The announcement specifies there is no cost sharing or matching requirement, meaning applicants are not required to contribute non-federal matching funds as a condition of the award.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligible applicants include state governments, county governments, city or township governments, public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, federally recognized tribal governments, and Native American tribal organizations other than federally recognized tribal governments. The additional eligibility information also allows faith-based or community-based organizations to apply.
Are foreign institutions or non-U.S. entities eligible to apply?
No. The announcement states that foreign institutions and other non-U.S. entities are not eligible to apply.
Where can applicants find the full official announcement?
The listing provides an additional information link to the NIH Grants Guide page for PA 14 004.
Who should be contacted for technical issues accessing or linking to the announcement?
For technical issues, the contact provided is the NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) Webmaster at FBOWebmaster@OD.NIH.GOV.
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