Large Research Projects for Prevention of Healthcare-Associated Infections (R01) | PA 17 008

Opportunity Information: Apply for PA 17 008

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) grant opportunity titled "Large Research Projects for Prevention of Healthcare-Associated Infections (R01)" (Funding Opportunity Number PA-17-008) supports substantial, research-driven projects aimed at improving how healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) are detected, prevented, and reduced. It uses the R01 grant mechanism, which is typically intended for larger, multi-year research efforts that can generate rigorous evidence, develop and test interventions, and produce findings that can be applied in real healthcare settings. The overall purpose is to strengthen the evidence base around HAI prevention and control, with an emphasis on research that can meaningfully change practice, improve patient safety, and reduce harm linked to infections acquired during the delivery of care.

This funding announcement is positioned broadly to cover multiple research directions connected to HAIs. While the notice does not list every specific topic area in the excerpt provided, it makes clear that AHRQ is seeking projects that advance knowledge across the HAI lifecycle: identifying and measuring infections reliably (detection and surveillance), understanding risk factors and transmission pathways, designing and evaluating prevention strategies, and implementing approaches that reduce infection rates in healthcare environments. In practice, this kind of FOA often aligns with applied health services research, meaning applicants are generally expected to study not only what works biologically or clinically, but also what works operationally in hospitals, clinics, long-term care facilities, and other care settings where infections can spread through devices, procedures, staffing workflows, environmental factors, and patient movement across units or facilities.

The opportunity is categorized as discretionary grant funding in the health activity area and is associated with CFDA number 93.226. The sponsoring agency is AHRQ, a federal agency focused on improving the quality, safety, efficiency, and effectiveness of healthcare. The announcement was originally created on 2016-10-13, and the original closing date shown in the listing is 2021-07-06. The excerpt does not provide an award ceiling or the expected number of awards, which typically means applicants would need to consult the full FOA text for budget limits, project period expectations, and any institute- or program-specific funding constraints.

Eligibility includes a range of U.S.-based applicant types commonly allowed under federal research grants. Eligible applicants explicitly include state governments, public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments that are federally recognized, and Native American tribal organizations other than federally recognized tribal governments. The FOA also highlights additional eligible applicant categories such as Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), and eligible agencies of the federal government. A key restriction is that non-domestic entities (foreign institutions) are not eligible to apply, and non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are also not eligible. In other words, projects must be led and carried out within eligible U.S. organizational structures and locations, with eligibility details ultimately governed by the full FOA language.

In summary, PA-17-008 is an AHRQ R01 funding opportunity intended to support large-scale, impactful research that produces practical, evidence-based advances in preventing healthcare-associated infections. It encourages applications from a wide range of U.S. public institutions and mission-serving organizations, including tribal and minority-serving institutions, while explicitly excluding foreign organizations and foreign components. The funded work is meant to improve real-world HAI detection and prevention strategies in healthcare delivery, contributing to safer care and better patient outcomes.

• The Agency for Health Care Research and Quality in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Large Research Projects for Prevention of Healthcare-Associated Infections (R01)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.226.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2016-10-13.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2021-07-06. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments).

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