The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) provides an array of intramural and extramural predoctoral and postdoctoral educational, research infrastructure and career development grants and opportunities in health services research. In addition, the Agency supports the development of health services research infrastructure in emerging centers of excellence and works with Federal and academic partners to develop innovative curricula and educational models. The following is a list of training programs and support mechanisms with a brief description of each and further resources where available.
Health Services Research Dissertation Awards (R36)
AHRQ has changed the process, deadlines and program requirements for its dissertation grant program. Beginning with all new applications submitted to AHRQ, only electronic applications on the standard Form 424 Research and Related (SF 424 R&R) submitted through Grants.gov will be accepted. A direct link to the SF 424 R&R application instructions can be found at: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/424/index.htm.
Effective April 1, 2006, applications must be received no later than 5:00 p.m. local time (of the applicant institution/organization) on the submission date(s) described in a funding opportunity announcement. Please note that the Grants.gov timestamp will continue to be expressed in Eastern Standard Time.
The updated Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) for AHRQ Grants for Health Services Research Dissertation (R36) (PAR-06-118) can be found at: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-06-118.html. The announcement will also take the applicant directly to the application and instructions at Grants.gov.
Applicants are encouraged to make sure that their institutions are registered with both the eRA Commons and Grants.gov. Also, the principal investigators (PIs—in this case, the potential dissertation applicants) need to work with their institutions to make sure they are registered in the NIH Commons. The institution and the individual should allow up to two to four weeks for the registration processes to be completed and verified.
Effective January 1, 2007, application receipt dates are February 16, June 16 and October 16 annually. Resubmission application receipt dates are March 16, July 16 and November 16 annually.
In addition to assistance being made available through NIH, AHRQ has established an E-mail box to offer assistance with regard to specific questions on the E-grant process and SF 424 (R&R). The E-mail address is e-grants@ahrq.hhs.gov. Assistance from AHRQ with issues specific to the dissertation announcement can be obtained from Ms. Brenda Harding at (301) 427-1527 or by contacting training@ahrq.hhs.gov. Please allow several days for a response, potentially exceeding a week, in periods of high demand (i.e., periods approaching submission deadline dates), although an effort will be made to assist as soon as possible.
Applications must be submitted electronically to Grants.gov by 5 P.M. local institute time on the submission date.
A listing of recipients with their institutional affiliations and titles of their dissertation is provided in Recently-Funded Dissertations. Commonly asked Questions and Answers regarding Health Services Research Dissertation Awards (R36) are also available to assist potential applicants.
Return to Programs
Independent Scientist Awards (KO2)
AHRQ sponsors Independent Scientist Awards in health services research,
which are "Research Career Awards" intended to foster the development
of promising new investigators in the field. Individual awards support
newly independent scientists who can demonstrate a need for a period
of intensive research focus. Awards are provided for a period between
3 and 5 years.
Effective January 1, 2007, application receipt dates are February 12, June 12, and October 12, annually.
Select AHRQ Independent Scientist Award (K02) for the Program Announcement and Tools and Resources for new and continuing application materials.
A listing of recipients with their institutional affiliations and
titles of their dissertations is provided in AHRQ Recently Funded Career Development Award Grants.
Return to Programs
Individual Postdoctoral Fellowship Awards (F32)
AHRQ supports individual postdoctoral National Research Service
Award (NRSA) fellows in health services research through its Individual
Postdoctoral Fellowship program. These fellowships provide opportunities
for 1 or more years of academic training and supervised experience
in applying research methods to the systematic evaluation of health
services. A stipend is provided to trainees to help defray cost-of-living
expenses; stipend levels depend on the applicant's years of relevant
experience.
Select AHRQ Individual Awards for Postdoctoral Fellows for the Program Announcement and the National Institutes of Health's NRSA Guidelines for an overview of important NRSA issues.
Tools and Resources provides information
useful in the administration of F32 grants, including application
information for new and noncompeting continuations, important forms
and notices pertaining to fellow activation, termination, and payback
requirements, and current stipend levels.
A listing of recipients with their institutional affiliations and titles of their dissertations is provided in Recently Funded NRSA Pre- and Postdoctoral Fellowships.
Return to Programs
Institutional Training Awards (T32)
AHRQ awards National Research Service Award (NRSA) institutional
training grants to academic institutions to develop health services
research training opportunities across the Nation. The purpose of
the NRSA program is to help ensure that adequate numbers of highly
trained individuals are available to carry out the Nation's health
services research agenda in order to improve quality of health care,
assure value for health dollars spent, and enhance access to services.
There is no open solicitation for institutional training awards..
A goal is to equip students with the necessary knowledge, skills,
and experiences to conduct future research which will meet the needs
of patients, providers, health care plans, purchasers, and/or policymakers.
NRSA institutional training grants assist these programmatically
diverse domestic institutions in supporting predoctoral and postdoctoral
academic training by providing support for student stipends and
tuition. Approximately 160 students receive support for their research
educational development under this program annually.
Academic programs that have received NRSA Institutional Training
awards are listed individually in AHRQ Institutional
Training Programs. Persons interested
in pursuing careers in health services research are encouraged to
review the list to obtain more detailed information on program contacts
and Web links to specific training programs. Individuals should
apply directly to the institutions and programs of specific interest
to them.
Awards allow selected trainees to gain 1 or more years of training
and experience in applying research methods to the evaluation of
health services. AHRQ does not support short-term training through
this mechanism. Relevant administration and program issues for the
T32 program (which are of interest both to individual training programs
as well as prospective trainees) are provided in the National Institutes
of Health's NRSA Guidelines.
Tools and Resources provides information
useful in the administration of T32 grants, including application
information for noncompeting continuations of grants and important
forms and notices pertaining to financial status reports, trainee
appointments and terminations, and current stipend levels.
Return to Programs
Kerr White Visiting Scholars Program
The Kerr White Visiting Scholars Program provides a unique research
opportunity in which outside scholars are linked with key AHRQ research
staff to address new and emerging issues related to health care
access, utilization, cost quality and effectiveness. The program
offers a synergistic experience for both new and well-established
health services researchers to interact with Agency staff for nonrenewable
periods ranging from 13 months to 2 years in residence at AHRQ.
Candidates have the option of either proposing a research project
or developing a project in one of several identified priority areas.
There is no open solicitation for this program at present.
Return to Programs
Mentored Clinical Scientist Development Awards (K08)
AHRQ sponsors the Mentored Clinical Scientist Development Award
in health services research. Support is provided for the development
of outstanding clinician research scientists who are committed to
a career in health services research, with a focus on development
as an independent scientist.
The candidate must have a clinical doctoral degree, must identify
a mentor with extensive research experience, and must be willing
to spend a minimum of 75 percent of full-time professional effort
conducting research and developing a research career during the
award period. The grant may provide 3 to 5 years of funding.
Effective January 1, 2007, application receipt dates are February 12, June 12, and October 12, annually.
Select AHRQ Mentored Clinical Scientist Development Award (K08) for the Program Announcement
and Tools and Resources for new and continuing
application materials.
A listing of recipients with their institutional affiliations and
titles of their grants is provided in AHRQ Recently Funded Career Development Award Grants.
Return to Programs
Fellowship Awards To Promote Diversity in Health Related Research (F31)
The Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Awards for Individual Predoctoral Fellowships to Promote Diversity in Health-Related Research will provide up to five years of support for research training leading to the Ph.D. or equivalent research degree, the combined M.D./Ph.D. degree; or another formally combined professional degree and research doctoral degree in biomedical, behavioral, health services, or clinical sciences. These fellowships will enhance the diversity of the biomedical, behavioral, health services, and clinical research labor force in the United States by providing opportunities for academic institutions to identify and recruit students from diverse population groups to seek graduate degrees in health-related research and apply for this fellowship. The overall goal of this program is to increase the number of scientists from diverse population groups who are prepared to pursue careers in biomedical, behavioral, social, clinical, or health services research.
Select Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Awards for Individual Predoctoral Fellowships (F31) to Promote Diversity in Health-Related Research for the Program
Announcement and the National Institutes of Health NRSA Guidelines
for an overview of important NRSA issues.
Tools and Resources provides information
useful in the administration of F31 grants, including application
information for new and noncompeting continuations, important forms
and notices pertaining to fellow activation and termination requirements,
and current stipend levels.
A listing of recipients with their institutional affiliations and
titles of their dissertations is provided in Recently Funded NRSA Pre- and Postdoctoral Fellowships.
Return to Programs
Current as of March 2008
Internet Citation:
Research Training Programs. March 2008. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. http://www.ahrq.gov/fund/training/rsrchtng.htm
540 Gaither Road Rockville, MD 20850