AHRQ Child and Adolescent Health Update

AHRQ Child and Adolescent Health Update
Volume 12, Number 03— March 2, 2010
Today's Headlines:
1. AHRQ Issues Three Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOAs) for Comparative Effectiveness Delivery System Research
2. Vacancy Announcement: AHRQ Summer Intern Program
3. “Citizens Forum – Conducting Public Forms to Solicit Input from the Public on Various Health Care Decisions”

4. Enhanced State Data for Analysis and Tracking of Comparative Effectiveness Impact: Improved Clinical Content and Race-Ethnicity Data (R01)


1. Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOAs): AHRQ Issues Three Funding Opportunity Announcements (R01, R18) for Comparative Effectiveness Delivery System Research

We are pleased to inform you about three Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOAs) recently issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). These FOAs are supported by funds provided to AHRQ, through the Office of the Secretary, HHS, under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Scientifically distinct applications to more than one FOA are permitted.

ARRA OS Recovery Act 2009 Limited Competition: Comparative Effectiveness Delivery System Demonstration Grants (R18)—RFA-HS-10-013
This FOA invites Research Demonstration and Dissemination Grant (R18) applications from organizations to conduct demonstrations of (1) broad strategies and/or specific interventions for improving care by redesigning care delivery, or (2) strategies and interventions for improving care by redesigning payment. The demonstrations will aim to achieve major improvements in care quality (including clinical outcomes and other dimensions), improve access to care, reduce disparities, or improve population-based measures of health outcomes. The demonstration will address issues related to HHS priorities, including those of Medicare and Medicaid. AHRQ anticipates making three to six awards, which will not exceed $5 million in total funding; typical awards may be smaller than this amount. A total of $12 million is available to fund applications under this FOA. Applications are due March 23, 2010. For more information, please visit: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-HS-10-013.html

ARRA OS Recovery Act 2009 Limited Competition: Comparative Effectiveness Delivery System Evaluation Grants (R01) invites applications from investigators seeking to conduct rigorous comparative evaluations of alternative system designs, change strategies, and interventions that have already been implemented in healthcare and are likely to improve quality and other outcomes. For the purpose of this FOA, comparative effectiveness research is defined as the conduct and synthesis of research comparing the benefits and harms of different interventions and strategies to prevent, diagnose, treat, and monitor health conditions in “real world” settings. This FOA concentrates primarily on delivery system strategies, which in turn may affect other types of interventions. AHRQ anticipates funding between six and ten awards that together total $7,000,000. Applicants may receive no more than $500,000 annually for up to 3 years. Applications are due March 18, 2010. For more information, please visit: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-HS-10-012.html

Accelerating Implementation of Comparative Effectiveness Findings on Clinical and Delivery System Interventions by Leveraging AHRQ Networks (R18) invites applications that promote the increased implementation and widespread use of findings from comparative effectiveness research that have been demonstrated to improve the prevention, diagnosis, management or treatment of a clinical condition or to otherwise improve care quality, improve access to care, reduce disparities, or improve population-based measures of health outcomes. For purposes of this FOA, the scope of comparative effectiveness research findings includes not only clinical findings but also findings on the effectiveness of implementation approaches, including behavioral change and delivery system strategies. To achieve maximum impact, applicants will leverage broad-based, multi-stakeholder or multi-site collaborations or partnerships to develop and implement comprehensive initiatives composed of one or more interventions and strategies. While this FOA is targeted towards specific AHRQ supported networks, other applicants will be considered eligible if they can demonstrate the capacity to meet all of the requirements specified in the FOA, and have a documented track record of successfully taking proven practices to scale and/or implementing broad delivery system change. AHRQ anticipates funding up to 10 awards that together total $13 million. Applicants may receive no more than $5 million annually for up to 3 years. Applications are due March 24, 2010. For more information, please visit: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-HS-10-014.html


2. Vacancy Announcement: AHRQ Summer Intern Program

The AHRQ summer internship program provides students with an opportunity to work in a collegial environment with some of the leading researchers in the health services research community. The program exposes students to the conduct and support of research, administrative protocols, and understanding of the impact of health services research and knowledge creation. For more information, please visit: Program Analyst - Student Temporary Employment Program
http://jobview.usajobs.gov/Error.aspx?M=HttpUnhandledException&G=c48e59bd-a3e8-4baa-a257-0b5c154d2954&N=101WEIVBOJ&Ref=&S=GET&OU=%2fChannels%2fUSAJOBS%2fGetJob.aspx%3fJobID%3d86508646%26JobTitle%3dProgram%2bAnalyst%2b-%2bStudent%2bTemporary%2bEmployment%2bProgram%26FedEmp%3dY%26FedPub%3dY%26sort%3drv%252c-dtex%26vw%3db%26re%3d134%26caller%3dbasic.aspx%26jbf574%3dHE33%26AVSDM%3d2010-02-25%2b09%253a16%253a00


3. “Citizens Forum – Conducting Public Forms to Solicit Input from the Public on Various Health Care Decisions”

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) is currently soliciting proposals for a contract opportunity to be funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Titled: “Citizens Forum – Conducting Public Forms to Solicit Input from the Public on Various Health Care Decisions” (Solicitation No. AHRQ-10-10004), this funding opportunity seeks to expand and systematize the broad engagement of citizens and stakeholders in AHRQ's comparative effectiveness research initiative. The deadline for proposals is 12:00 p.m. eastern time on April 7, 2010. For more information, please visit: https://www.fbo.gov/index? =opportunity&mode=form&id=119084e350b5b1042fe870e2e1a7b982&tab=core&_cview=1.


4. Enhanced State Data for Analysis and Tracking of Comparative Effectiveness Impact: Improved Clinical Content and Race-Ethnicity Data (R01)
This AHRQ Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), supported by funds provided to AHRQ under the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act of 2009, Public Law 111-5, invites infrastructure development research grant (R01) applications from organizations seeking to either 1) enhance the clinical content of statewide, all-payer, hospital-based encounter-level data to support comparative effectiveness research, or 2) improve the reliability and validity of information in hospital-based encounter-level data related to race and ethnicity. Applications are due March 29, 2010. For more information, please visit: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-HS-10-010.html