Dissemination and Implementation Research in Health (R01) | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the purpose of the Dissemination and Implementation Research in Health (R01) opportunity (PAR 16-238)?

This NIH discretionary research grant supports research designed to improve how proven, evidence-based health interventions are moved into real-world use. The core aim is to reduce the gap between what research shows works and what is routinely delivered in public health systems, clinical practices, and community organizations.

Is this grant meant to fund the discovery of new interventions?

No. The focus is not on creating entirely new clinical or public health interventions. Instead, it supports research-driven work to increase the adoption, integration, consistent delivery, and long-term sustainment of interventions that already have evidence behind them.

What does "dissemination" mean in this FOA?

In this context, dissemination refers to the active spread of evidence-based information and interventions to specific target audiences. The emphasis is on practical approaches for getting the right information and practices into the hands of the people and organizations that can use them.

What does "implementation" mean in this FOA?

Implementation refers to how evidence-based interventions are put into routine practice within real organizations and systems. This includes the processes, strategies, and conditions that help an intervention become part of standard operations rather than a one-time or isolated effort.

What types of projects does this FOA invite?

The FOA invites R01 applications that identify, develop, test, evaluate, and refine dissemination and implementation strategies. Competitive projects typically focus on the "how" of adoption and scale-up in real settings, including understanding barriers and facilitators, comparing implementation approaches, tailoring strategies, and evaluating whether strategies improve uptake and sustainment.

What kinds of evidence-based practices are within scope?

The scope is broad and can include evidence-based practices such as behavioral interventions, prevention programs, early detection approaches, diagnostic and treatment interventions, chronic disease management strategies, and quality improvement programs.

What kinds of settings are relevant for this research?

This FOA emphasizes real-world settings where people actually receive care and services. Examples described in the opportunity include public health systems, clinical practices, and community organizations, as well as service delivery systems that may intersect with education, environment, income security, and social services.

What makes a project "competitive" under this FOA?

Based on the description provided, competitive projects tend to center on practical implementation questions in real-world conditions. They often examine barriers and facilitators, compare different strategies, tailor approaches to populations or service systems, and evaluate outcomes such as uptake, fidelity, reach, and sustainability.

What is meant by focusing on the "how" of adoption and scale-up?

It means the research is expected to generate knowledge about how to successfully get evidence-based interventions adopted and used consistently in routine practice. Rather than asking whether an intervention works in ideal conditions, the emphasis is on how to implement it effectively across real organizations and systems.

What implementation outcomes are mentioned in the opportunity?

The opportunity highlights implementation outcomes such as adoption, fidelity, penetration, acceptability, feasibility, cost, and sustainability. It also references evaluating whether strategies improve uptake, fidelity, reach, and sustainability in practice settings.

Does the FOA support methodological research in dissemination and implementation science?

Yes. In addition to applied implementation studies, it explicitly encourages research that advances dissemination and implementation science methods and measurement, such as developing or refining frameworks, study designs, analytic approaches, and metrics.

What kinds of methodological or measurement advances are encouraged?

Examples described include improving methods to measure implementation outcomes (like adoption, fidelity, penetration, acceptability, feasibility, cost, and sustainability), strengthening pragmatic and hybrid effectiveness-implementation designs, and creating better tools to evaluate complex implementation strategies across multiple sites or systems.

What grant mechanism is used for this opportunity?

The funding mechanism is an R01, which generally supports mature, hypothesis-driven research programs with clear aims, strong designs, and robust evaluation plans.

Who is the sponsoring agency for PAR 16-238?

The sponsoring agency is the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health (listed as HHS-NIH11).

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is broad. 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; federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education); for-profit organizations (other than small businesses); small businesses; and other entities as described in the FOA's additional eligibility language.

Why is eligibility so broad for this FOA?

The eligibility aligns with the emphasis on conducting research in real-world systems. Dissemination and implementation research often requires partnerships among universities, health systems, community organizations, and government agencies where interventions are actually delivered.

What activity areas are associated with this funding opportunity?

The listing includes activity areas such as education, environment, health, income security, and social services, reflecting that dissemination and implementation challenges can cut across clinical care, public health infrastructure, and community-based service delivery.

Are any CFDA numbers associated with this opportunity?

Yes. The opportunity lists multiple CFDA numbers: 93.113, 93.121, 93.172, 93.173, 93.213, 93.233, 93.242, 93.273, 93.279, 93.307, 93.361, 93.399, 93.837, 93.838, 93.839, 93.853, 93.855, 93.856, 93.865, and 93.866.

Does the provided record specify an award ceiling or expected number of awards?

No. The provided fields do not specify an award ceiling or the expected number of awards. That typically means applicants would need to consult the full FOA text or institute-specific guidance for budget expectations or anticipated funding levels.

What are the posted and closing dates listed for this opportunity?

The FOA was posted and created on May 10, 2016. The original and current closing date listed is May 7, 2019, reflecting the submission window referenced in the source data provided.

What kinds of implementation strategies are examples of what might be studied?

The description provides examples such as training models, audit and feedback, facilitation, implementation toolkits, clinical decision support, policy or reimbursement levers, and community engagement approaches.

Can projects measure both implementation outcomes and health outcomes?

Yes. The practical description notes that proposed studies can measure implementation outcomes alongside health outcomes, with the goal of improving reliable delivery and real-world impact of evidence-based interventions.

What is the overall impact this FOA is trying to achieve?

The overarching goal is to generate generalizable knowledge that helps health systems and communities deliver evidence-based interventions more reliably, at scale, and over time, thereby narrowing the gap between proven practices and routine care or services.