Improving Quality of Care and Quality of Life for Persons with Alzheimers Disease and Related Dementias at the End of Life (R01) | PAS 17 027

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAS 17 027

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant opportunity titled "Improving Quality of Care and Quality of Life for Persons with Alzheimers Disease and Related Dementias at the End of Life (R01)" (Funding Opportunity Number PAS-17-027) supports research aimed at strengthening end-of-life care for people living with Alzheimers disease and related dementias (ADRD), as well as for their families and caregivers. The central goal is to close important clinical and translational research gaps that limit how well health systems, clinicians, and community supports can manage comfort, dignity, decision-making, symptom burden, and caregiver strain during the final stage of life for individuals with dementia. The overall emphasis is not simply on documenting needs, but on generating evidence that can realistically improve quality of life and quality of care near the end of life in ADRD.

This funding announcement specifically encourages two kinds of study approaches. First, it places a strong emphasis on secondary analyses that make use of existing data resources, particularly data from longitudinal cohort studies (which follow individuals over time and can capture disease progression, health care transitions, and outcomes) and administrative records (such as Medicare/Medicaid claims, health system utilization data, or other large-scale service datasets). This priority reflects the value of leveraging already-collected information to answer urgent questions about patterns of care, costs, care transitions, hospice and palliative care use, symptom management, and disparities in end-of-life experiences for people with ADRD. Second, the FOA also encourages primary data collection when it is designed for Stage I behavioral intervention development. In practice, this means early-phase intervention work focused on building, refining, and testing the feasibility and acceptability of interventions that could improve end-of-life experiences, such as communication tools, caregiver supports, clinician training, decision aids, care coordination models, or strategies that reduce burdensome transitions and unwanted aggressive treatment. The Stage I framing signals a focus on intervention development and early testing rather than large definitive efficacy trials.

The award mechanism is the R01, which is NIHs standard research project grant intended to support substantial, hypothesis-driven or programmatic research projects. The activity areas are listed under Education and Health, and the CFDA numbers associated with the opportunity are 93.361 and 93.866. While the listing does not provide an award ceiling or the expected number of awards, the structure and framing indicate a competitive NIH research opportunity intended to produce rigorous findings that can translate into better clinical practice or better care delivery approaches for ADRD patients nearing the end of life.

Eligibility is broad and includes a wide mix of public, private, nonprofit, and for-profit entities. Eligible applicants include state, county, city, township, and 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; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; Native American tribal organizations that are not federally recognized tribal governments; nonprofits with and without 501(c)(3) IRS status (other than institutions of higher education); for-profit organizations (other than small businesses); small businesses; and other eligible organizations. The FOA also highlights additional eligible applicant categories that NIH is explicitly welcoming, including 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); faith-based and community-based organizations; eligible agencies of the federal government; regional organizations; tribal governments that are not federally recognized; non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations); and U.S. territories or possessions. This breadth is important because end-of-life dementia care occurs across many settings and systems, and strong proposals can come from academic centers, health systems, community organizations, and cross-sector partnerships.

Administratively, this is a discretionary grant opportunity administered by the NIH. The opportunity was created on 2016-10-21, and the original closing date listed is 2018-01-24. In summary, the FOA is designed to accelerate practical, evidence-based improvements in end-of-life dementia care by funding research that either mines powerful existing datasets or develops and refines behavioral interventions at an early stage, with the overarching aim of improving comfort, care quality, and overall quality of life for people with ADRD and the families who support them through the end-of-life period.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Improving Quality of Care and Quality of Life for Persons with Alzheimers Disease and Related Dementias at the End of Life (R01)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.361, 93.866.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2016-10-21.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2018-01-24. (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.

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