Health Equity Data Access Program (HEDAP)

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is forecasting the release of the Health Equity Data Access Program (HEDAP) under opportunity number CMS-2L2-25-001. CMS plays a central role in administering the nation’s major healthcare programs, including Medicare, Medicaid, and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and is committed to advancing health equity across all communities served. The HEDAP initiative is aligned with CMS’s broader mission to improve health outcomes and reduce disparities for underserved and vulnerable populations by enabling research through expanded access to critical health data. HEDAP provides funding for six designated seats in the CMS Virtual Research Data Center (VRDC). A "seat" in this context refers to an individual researcher with access privileges to the VRDC. The program is specifically designed to support minority health research by allowing qualified researchers to access restricted CMS data. These data access opportunities will support research in diverse domains including physical, behavioral, oral, and population health, as well as the social determinants of health. Eligible research must focus on populations facing disparities, including but not limited to racial and ethnic minority groups, individuals with disabilities, members of the LGBTQ+ community, individuals with limited English proficiency, residents of rural areas, and people affected by long-standing poverty or inequality. The core objective of HEDAP is to enable researchers to conduct applied health services research that leverages CMS data in innovative and meaningful ways. Projects should aim to document, assess, and evaluate health disparities among Medicare, Medicaid, and CHIP enrollees. Proposals that explore intersectionality—recognizing the overlapping inequities faced by individuals belonging to multiple underserved groups—are particularly encouraged. The expected outcome is to generate actionable insights that can inform CMS programs and partners, such as Quality Improvement Organizations and Hospital Engagement Networks, helping to advance the goal of health equity nationwide. Selected researchers will receive access to VRDC for a period of up to 36 months, contingent on the continued availability of funds. This access will help researchers build the data skills needed for future, more extensive CMS-related studies and publications. While the program does not provide direct cash awards, the value lies in the highly competitive and limited access to CMS’s rich data ecosystem—access that is otherwise difficult and expensive to obtain. Eligibility for HEDAP includes U.S.-based nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education), as well as both private and public/state-controlled institutions of higher education. There are no cost-sharing or matching requirements associated with this opportunity. However, only six awards are anticipated, making the selection process competitive. Applicants must propose high-quality, applied research with the potential to influence health equity policy or interventions. As of the latest update on July 25, 2024, this is a forecasted opportunity. Specific dates for the application opening, submission deadline, and award notifications have not yet been published. Interested applicants are encouraged to monitor the Grants.gov portal for the official release of the application package. For any inquiries related to the grant, CMS directs prospective applicants to contact HEResearch@cms.hhs.gov. Further details will be made available once the opportunity transitions from forecasted to active status.