Pragmatic Trials for Dementia Care in Long-term Services and Support (LTSS) Settings (R01) | RFA AG 17 064

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the name of this NIH funding opportunity?

The opportunity is titled "Pragmatic Trials for Dementia Care in Long-term Services and Support (LTSS) Settings (R01)."

What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FOA number)?

The Funding Opportunity Number is RFA-AG-17-064.

What is the CFDA number listed for this opportunity?

The CFDA number is 93.866.

What type of grant mechanism does this FOA use?

This FOA uses the NIH R01 mechanism, which is a standard NIH research project grant.

What is the main purpose of this funding opportunity?

The purpose is to support research grant applications that test dementia care approaches in real-world long-term services and supports (LTSS) settings where people with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD) receive long-term assistance.

What kinds of studies does NIH want to fund under this FOA?

NIH is seeking pragmatic trials. These are studies designed to answer practical, decision-relevant questions in routine care environments, rather than tightly controlled efficacy studies conducted under idealized or highly selective conditions.

What does "pragmatic trial" mean in the context of this FOA?

In this FOA, pragmatic means the trial should be embedded in routine care workflows and typical LTSS settings, producing results that are immediately useful to patients, families, front-line staff, and health care systems, and that can be adopted quickly without relying on specialized research infrastructure.

What settings are the focus of the research?

The focus is on long-term services and supports (LTSS) settings and real-world environments where dementia care is actually delivered.

What kinds of research questions are encouraged?

The FOA emphasizes comparative, practice-facing questions that matter to people living with ADRD, clinicians, and caregivers. Projects are expected to compare realistic care strategies, programs, or service delivery approaches that LTSS organizations could implement.

Who are the intended beneficiaries of the research findings?

The FOA emphasizes generating findings that are useful to patients with ADRD, their families, front-line paid staff in LTSS settings, informal (unpaid) caregivers, and health care systems responsible for care delivery.

Does the FOA address caregivers specifically?

Yes. It explicitly includes both paid caregivers (such as nursing assistants, aides, and facility staff) and unpaid caregivers (such as family members and friends) as stakeholders whose needs and decision-relevant questions should be reflected in the research.

Are projects expected to be embedded in normal operations of LTSS organizations?

Yes. The FOA indicates the intent is rapid translation, so trials should be embedded in routine care workflows and typical LTSS settings, rather than built around specialized research infrastructure that would be difficult to replicate outside the study.

What does NIH mean by "rapid translation" in this FOA?

It means the research should be designed so that results can be adopted quickly in everyday LTSS dementia care, without requiring ideal conditions that rarely exist in real-world practice.

Is inclusion of diverse populations important for this opportunity?

Yes. A central expectation is inclusion of broad and diverse populations so that results reflect the heterogeneity of people living with dementia and the settings that serve them.

What types of diversity are applicants encouraged to include?

The FOA encourages trials that reflect variation in geography, race and ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and levels of impairment and comorbidity.

Why is broad inclusion emphasized?

The FOA ties inclusivity to producing results that generalize well and can help address inequities in access, quality, and outcomes across different communities and systems of care.

What outcomes is NIH hoping funded projects will improve?

Successful applications are expected to show clear potential to improve quality of care for persons with dementia, improve quality of life for persons with dementia and their informal caregivers, and/or deliver more patient-centered and cost-effective care in LTSS settings.

Does the FOA prioritize reducing disparities in dementia care?

Yes. A major aim is reducing disparities in LTSS dementia care. Trials may respond to gaps experienced by underserved groups or under-resourced facilities and may test interventions feasible under staffing constraints and limited specialty support.

Are interventions expected to be realistic for LTSS organizations to implement?

Yes. Projects are expected to compare realistic strategies, programs, or service delivery approaches that LTSS organizations could actually implement.

Is an award ceiling or the expected number of awards provided in the information available?

No. The provided information does not specify an award ceiling or the expected number of awards.

When was this funding opportunity created?

The opportunity was created on November 23, 2016.

What was the original closing date listed for this FOA?

The original closing date was February 3, 2017.

Who is eligible to apply for this grant?

Eligibility is broad. Eligible applicants include many organization types such as various levels of government, institutions of higher education (public and private), tribal governments and tribal organizations, public housing authorities, nonprofits (with or without 501(c)(3) status), for-profit organizations (including small businesses), and other organizations.

Are state and local government entities eligible?

Yes. The FOA includes state, county, city, township, and special district governments as eligible applicants.

Are schools and universities eligible to apply?

Yes. Eligible applicants include independent school districts, public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, and private institutions of higher education.

Are tribal entities eligible?

Yes. The FOA lists federally recognized Native American tribal governments and Native American tribal organizations other than federally recognized tribal governments as eligible.

Are nonprofits eligible, even without 501(c)(3) status?

Yes. The FOA lists nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status as eligible applicants.

Are for-profit organizations eligible?

Yes. The FOA lists for-profit organizations other than small businesses and also lists small businesses as eligible.

Are community-based and faith-based organizations included in eligibility?

Yes. The FOA highlights faith-based or community-based organizations among additional eligible applicant types.

Are minority-serving institutions specifically mentioned as eligible?

Yes. The FOA highlights Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, AANAPISI, Hispanic-serving Institutions, HBCUs, and TCCUs as additional eligible applicant types.

Are non-U.S. (foreign) organizations eligible to apply?

Yes. The FOA highlights non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations) as eligible applicant types.

Are U.S. territories or possessions eligible?

Yes. The FOA highlights U.S. territories or possessions as eligible applicant types.

Does the FOA suggest that partnerships may be important?

Yes. The wide eligibility is described as reflecting that meaningful LTSS dementia trials often require collaborations among academic researchers, community organizations, health systems, long-term care providers, and organizations serving specific populations.

What is the overall goal of this FOA in plain language?

To accelerate practical evidence for dementia care in long-term services and supports by funding inclusive, real-world pragmatic trials that can lead to adoptable improvements in care quality, quality of life, cost-effectiveness, and equity.