Improving Individual and Family Outcomes through Continuity and Coordination of Care in Hospice (R01 Clinical Trial Optional) | PA 18 148

Opportunity Information: Apply for PA 18 148

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant opportunity "Improving Individual and Family Outcomes through Continuity and Coordination of Care in Hospice (R01 Clinical Trial Optional)" (Funding Opportunity Number: PA 18-148) supports research aimed at strengthening how care is coordinated for people enrolled in hospice and for the family members and friends who care for them. The core goal is to reduce harmful or distressing outcomes that can happen when patients experience unwanted or poorly managed transitions near the end of life, such as transfers between settings or disruptions in who is providing care. At the same time, the announcement encourages studies that identify and test practical ways to improve continuity of care, communication, and coordination so that both patients and families have better experiences and outcomes during hospice.

The FOA is focused on hospice patients and family caregivers across every setting where hospice services are delivered. That includes care provided in a patients own home, a relatives home, hospice inpatient facilities, assisted living facilities, short- or long-term care facilities (including nursing homes), and hospitals. The emphasis on multiple settings reflects a real-world problem in end-of-life care: hospice patients may move between locations or rely on multiple clinicians, agencies, and facilities, and those handoffs can create confusion, duplicated services, gaps in symptom management, and emotional strain for families. Research responsive to this announcement would typically look at how these transitions occur, why they become unwanted, how coordination breaks down, and what systems or interventions can prevent unnecessary disruption while still ensuring appropriate care.

Because the mechanism is an R01, the opportunity is designed for more substantial, well-developed research projects rather than small pilot efforts. The "clinical trial optional" designation means applicants can propose either observational or interventional research, and they may include a clinical trial if it fits the aims, but a trial is not required. Projects may address outcomes for individuals (for example, symptom burden, distress, quality of life, care goal alignment, or hospitalization patterns) and outcomes for family caregivers (for example, caregiving burden, preparedness, communication experiences, satisfaction with care, or bereavement-related outcomes). In general, the announcement is centered on measurable improvements that come from better continuity and coordination, not simply describing problems.

Eligible applicants are broad, spanning public and private organizations. Eligible entities include state, county, and local governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; tribal organizations other than federally recognized governments; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (as long as they are not institutions of higher education); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; and small businesses. The FOA also explicitly highlights additional eligible applicant types such as Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISI), Hispanic-serving institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible federal agencies, regional organizations, U.S. territories or possessions, tribal governments other than federally recognized, and non-U.S. (foreign) organizations. This wide eligibility is intended to encourage research teams that reflect the diversity of hospice care environments and patient populations, including communities that are often underserved or disproportionately affected by barriers in serious illness care.

From an administrative standpoint, this is a discretionary grant in the NIH system, categorized under education and health, with CFDA number 93.361. The original posting date for the opportunity was November 7, 2017, and the original closing date listed is January 7, 2020 (noting that NIH funding opportunities sometimes have multiple receipt dates or may be reissued over time, but the provided source data lists that closing date). An award ceiling is not specified in the provided details, and expected awards are not listed, which is common for many NIH program announcements where budgets depend on the scope, institute priorities, and availability of funds.

Overall, the opportunity is best understood as NIH seeking stronger evidence on how to prevent avoidable, unwanted end-of-life transitions and how to build hospice care processes that remain consistent, coordinated, and person- and family-centered regardless of where the patient is located. The intended impact is not only better clinical and quality-of-life outcomes for hospice patients, but also reduced stress and improved support for family caregivers who often shoulder much of the practical and emotional work during the hospice period.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Improving Individual and Family Outcomes through Continuity and Coordination of Care in Hospice (R01 Clinical Trial Optional)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.361.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2017-11-07.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2020-01-07. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, For-profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses, Others.

Apply for PA 18 148

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