For scientific or research questions:
AHRQ Staff by Program and Portfolio Area

For peer review:
Kishena Wadhwani, PhD
301.427.1556
Kishena.Wadhwani@ahrq.hhs.gov

For financial or grants management questions:
GMI@ahrq.hhs.gov

The AHRQ Small Research Grant Program supports different types of health services research projects, including:

• Pilot and feasibility studies
• Secondary analysis of existing data
• Small, self-contained research projects
• Development of research methodology
• Development of new research technology

Priority areas of focus are:

• Research to improve healthcare patient safety
• Harnessing data and technology to improve healthcare quality and patient outcomes and to provide a 360-degree view of the patient
• Research to increase accessibility and affordability of healthcare by examining innovative market approaches to care delivery and financing

Priority populations include:

• Low-income
• Minority
• Women and children
• Elderly
• Individuals with special healthcare needs, including individuals with disabilities and those who need chronic care or end-of-life healthcare

AHRQ released an August 2, 2018 Special Emphasis Notice stating that the agency is interested in health services research to improve pain management, opioid abuse prevention, opioid abuse treatment and recovery, and overdose prevention and treatment. Focus areas include:

• Evaluating state, local, and health system policy efforts to address the opioid crisis
• Developing and evaluating interventions to prevent progression to opioid use disorders in people who are misusing or have experimented with opioids
• Understanding and addressing the rapid increase in opioid-related hospitalizations among older adults

AHRQ released a March 3, 2021 Special Emphasis Notice stating that the agency is interested in health services research to address the substance use disorder epidemic. Focus areas include:

• Dissemination and implementation of evidence-based, non-pharmacological and behavioral interventions that can treat multiple substances or polysubstance use in ambulatory care and primary care settings, with a particular interest in substances for which pharmacological treatments are not available
• Development and testing of healthcare services interventions in primary care and ambulatory care settings to address substance use disorder that consider the social, environmental, economic and psychological factors that contribute to substance use disorder
• Understanding and addressing the effect of substance use disorder on whole person health and the development and/or management of other chronic conditions
• Reducing disparities for racial/ethnic minorities, children and adolescents, women, older adults, low-income communities, and rural populations
• Addressing the needs of people with multiple chronic conditions and addressing substance use disorders in the context of whole person health
• Improving healthcare quality, health behaviors, shared decision making and patient experiences

Eligible applicants include:

• Higher education institutions
  • Public/state controlled institutions
  • Private institutions
• Nonprofit organizations
  • With 501(c)(3) status
  • Without 501(c)(3) status
  • Native American tribal organizations
  • Faith-based or community-based organizations
  • Regional organizations
• Governments
  • State
  • County
  • City or township
  • Special districts
  • Federally recognized Indian/Native American tribal governments
  • Indian/Native American tribal governments (other than federally recognized)
  • Eligible agencies of the federal government
  • U.S. territory or possession
• Other
  • Independent school districts
  • Public housing authorities
  • Indian housing authorities
  • Non-domestic entities and non-domestic components of U.S. entities
  • Small businesses
  • For-profit organizations

Up to $100,000 for a project period not to exceed 2 years.

Links to the full announcement and online application process are available through grants.gov.

NIH standard deadlines apply for R03 new, renewal, and resubmission applications.

Applicants responding to a Special Emphasis Notice (SEN) should clearly state in the cover letter and project summary of their grant application that they are responding to the SEN by including the title and number of the SEN. Applications responding to the SEN should be submitted on regular application receipt dates identified in the respective Funding Opportunity Announcement.