AHRQ Improving Diagnostic Safety in Ambulatory Care: Strategies and Interventions (R18)

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, aims to produce evidence that makes healthcare safer, higher quality, more accessible, equitable, and affordable. AHRQ achieves its mission by collaborating with partners to ensure the produced evidence is understood and used. The funding opportunity titled "AHRQ Improving Diagnostic Safety in Ambulatory Care: Strategies and Interventions (R18)" seeks to develop, test, and evaluate strategies and interventions that improve diagnostic safety and quality in the heterogeneous ambulatory care environment. This funding opportunity invites proposals under the R18 Research Demonstration and Dissemination Projects activity code. It supports demonstration projects that aim to enhance diagnostic accuracy, reduce errors, and improve patient-provider communications in ambulatory settings such as primary care, urgent care, telemedicine, mental health care, and more. Projects may focus on interventions to reduce diagnostic inequities caused by factors such as age, race/ethnicity, or gender. The initiative encourages innovative use of technologies and team-based approaches, and welcomes collaborations that include expertise from outside traditional hospital settings. Eligible applicants include a wide range of U.S.-based entities, such as public and private higher education institutions, nonprofits, state and local governments, tribal organizations, independent school districts, and others. For-profit and foreign entities are not eligible to lead applications but may participate as partners or subcontractors. Applications must adhere to all relevant policies and instructions specified in the NOFO and the AHRQ Grants Policy and Guidance. The application process requires submission via Grants.gov using the NIH ASSIST system, an institutional system-to-system solution, or Grants.gov Workspace. There is no requirement for Letters of Intent. Applications must comply with the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide and AHRQ-specific instructions. Applications that do not comply may be delayed or not reviewed. The first application due date was January 25, 2024, with standard dates applying thereafter. Applications close on May 26, 2028. There is no intergovernmental review required under Executive Order 12372. The evaluation criteria include significance, innovation, investigator qualifications, approach, environment, inclusion of priority populations, and responsiveness to the NOFO's objectives. Reviewers will assess whether projects propose strategies that address diagnostic disparities and enhance diagnostic safety across diverse ambulatory care settings. Funding is contingent on the availability of appropriations and the submission of meritorious applications. The award budget is capped at $500,000 per year and $2 million total over a maximum project period of four years. Matching is not required. For further information, prospective applicants can contact Karen Cosby, MD, FACEP, CPPS, Medical Officer at AHRQ’s Center for Quality Improvement and Patient Safety via email at Karen.Cosby@ahrq.hhs.gov. Financial and grants management inquiries can be directed to Nicole Williams at AHRQ’s Division of Grants Management via phone at 301-427-1015 or email at nicole.williams@ahrq.hhs.gov.