AHRQ Patient-Centered Outcomes Research (PCOR) Mentored Clinical Scientist Career Development Award (K08)

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), an operating division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, administers the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research (PCOR) Mentored Clinical Scientist Career Development Award (K08). This federal funding opportunity provides long-term, structured support to clinical doctoral degree holders who seek to build independent research careers in comparative effectiveness research (CER) and patient-centered outcomes research (PCOR). Through this mechanism, AHRQ aims to expand the national capacity for evidence-based healthcare delivery research by developing clinician-scientists skilled in CER methodologies aligned with the priorities of the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI). The K08 program provides a sustained, mentored research experience over three to five years. Candidates receive protected time and funding to pursue didactic study, supervised research, and professional development activities that prepare them for independent grant applications, particularly AHRQ and NIH R01-level research. The program emphasizes advancing equitable, evidence-based care through the comparative assessment of interventions, healthcare delivery models, and policies. Research supported must focus on improving U.S. healthcare delivery, with emphasis on priority populations such as minorities, women, older adults, individuals with disabilities, and those living in rural or underserved areas. Funding under this announcement covers both salary and program-related research costs. AHRQ contributes up to $90,000 in direct costs annually toward the recipient’s salary and up to $25,000 annually for research development expenses, including tuition, research supplies, and travel to scientific meetings. Fringe benefits are covered at the institution’s negotiated rate, and indirect costs are reimbursed at eight percent of modified total direct costs. The project period may not exceed five years, and the total number of awards depends on annual budget appropriations and the merit of submitted applications. Eligible applicants include public or nonprofit private institutions of higher education, units of state or local government, Indian or Native American Tribal governments and organizations, and community- or faith-based entities engaged in research. For-profit organizations may participate as consortium partners or subcontractors but cannot serve as primary applicants. Foreign institutions are ineligible except as subrecipients. Individual candidates must be U.S. citizens, non-citizen nationals, or permanent residents with a clinical doctoral degree (e.g., MD, DO, DDS, DMD, PharmD, DVM, or PhD in a clinical discipline). They must devote at least 75% full-time professional effort to career development activities under this award. Applications follow the SF424 (R&R) process and must be submitted electronically via Grants.gov using ASSIST, institutional system-to-system interfaces, or Workspace. There is no letter of intent requirement. Standard NIH due dates apply, with the earliest submission date of December 10, 2021, and recurring annual deadlines (e.g., February 12). Applicants are encouraged to submit early to resolve system errors. The NOFO remains open through March 13, 2026, per notice NOT-HS-25-013. Applications are peer-reviewed by AHRQ panels following 42 CFR Part 67 procedures. Reviewers evaluate the candidate’s potential for research independence, the quality of the proposed research and mentorship, the career development plan, and institutional commitment. Priority is given to projects advancing equity, healthcare access, quality, and outcomes. Awardees must comply with all AHRQ policies on human subjects protection, data management, and public access to publications, and must report progress annually through the Research Performance Progress Report (RPPR) system. For scientific and programmatic questions, applicants should contact the AHRQ Division of Research Education at PCORtraining@ahrq.hhs.gov. Peer review inquiries should be directed to Dr. Armaz Aschrafi at DSR@ahrq.hhs.gov, and grants management inquiries to Galen Gregor at Galen.Gregor@ahrq.hhs.gov or (301) 427-1457. This NOFO is issued under Assistance Listing 93.226 and authorized by 42 U.S.C. 299b-37(e).