Improving Chronic Conditions Through Inexpensive Interventions

The National Institute on Aging (NIA), part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' National Institutes of Health (NIH), has announced a forecasted funding opportunity titled "Improving Chronic Conditions Through Inexpensive Interventions." This initiative seeks to advance the clinical management of older adults with multiple chronic conditions by fostering collaboration among researchers, clinicians, and electronic health record (EHR) vendors. The goal is to form a national consortium that evaluates care approaches using real-world data, improves patient outcomes, and supports scalable and interoperable digital health solutions. This opportunity is structured as a cooperative agreement using the U24 activity code. The funded consortium will be responsible for identifying primary care interventions—such as preventive services, chronic care coordination, deprescribing, and goal-setting—that have demonstrated effectiveness for older populations with complex medical profiles. These interventions will then be incorporated into AI- and machine learning-enhanced EHR platforms to facilitate both individual-level clinical decision-making and broader population health management strategies. Applicants will be expected to collaborate with stakeholders to design and implement user-friendly dashboards that integrate these care models. These tools must be validated through application in real-world primary care settings, with specific focus on measuring quality metrics and whole-person health outcomes. The initiative also requires teams to address systemic barriers to adoption, including technological, procedural, and personnel-related challenges that may hinder the implementation of these interventions across diverse clinical environments. The program does not impose a cost-sharing or matching requirement, broadening accessibility to a wide range of applicant institutions. Eligible entities include U.S.-based nonprofits (both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3)), tribal organizations, local and state governments, educational institutions, for-profit organizations (including small businesses), public housing authorities, and certain foreign institutions. This inclusive eligibility model reflects the funder's intent to attract diverse and interdisciplinary collaborations. The expected timeline for this opportunity begins with a forecasted post date of May 30, 2026. The estimated application due date is September 25, 2026. Award notifications are anticipated by July 1, 2027, with funded projects commencing on the same date. While applications are not currently being solicited, this forecast is intended to give interested parties adequate time to build collaborations and prepare competitive submissions aligned with the program's objectives. Inquiries about the opportunity should be directed to the NIA scientific contact via email at [email protected]. Prospective applicants are encouraged to include the funding announcement number, RFA-AG-27-003, in the subject line of their messages. The announcement notes that a formal notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) will be released at a future date, providing full details on submission procedures, evaluation criteria, and application requirements.