Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA AG 20 038
The Dementia Care: Home- and Community-Based Services (HCBS) (R21 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) funding opportunity (RFA-AG-20-038) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH), Department of Health and Human Services grant announcement focused on improving how researchers and service systems understand, measure, and document care delivered to people living with Alzheimer's disease and Alzheimer's disease-related dementias (AD/ADRD) in home and community settings. The central purpose is to support studies that examine real-world outcomes of care by mapping which HCBS supports are actually being used, identifying gaps and unmet needs, and clarifying the practical barriers that prevent individuals and families from accessing appropriate services. A key emphasis is on strengthening the evidence base around what services people receive outside institutional settings and what those services mean for patient and caregiver outcomes.
This FOA specifically encourages projects that create or substantially improve measurement tools in this area. That includes developing new instruments that more accurately capture the type, intensity, timing, quality, and coordination of HCBS used by people with AD/ADRD, as well as tools that better measure barriers to access and unmet service needs. In addition to new instruments, the FOA highlights the importance of improving data quality and data access, reflecting an interest in better methods for collecting, validating, linking, or harmonizing data relevant to dementia care in the community. In practice, competitive projects would likely focus on clearer definitions, more reliable metrics, and stronger data infrastructure so that researchers, policymakers, and providers can make more confident comparisons across programs, communities, and populations.
The mechanism is an NIH R21, which is typically designed for exploratory and developmental research rather than large-scale definitive studies. The announcement also states "Clinical Trial Not Allowed," meaning the proposed work cannot include an NIH-defined clinical trial (for example, prospectively assigning people to an intervention to evaluate effects on health-related outcomes). Applicants can still conduct observational research, secondary data analyses, instrument development and validation studies, and other non-trial designs aimed at understanding service use and outcomes in home and community contexts.
Eligibility is broad and includes many types of organizations that might be positioned to study dementia-related HCBS systems or develop measurement approaches. Eligible applicants listed include state, county, and city/township governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status (excluding higher education institutions in those categories); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; small businesses; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; and Native American tribal governments (federally recognized) as well as tribal organizations other than federally recognized governments. The wide eligibility reflects the reality that meaningful HCBS research often involves partnerships across universities, healthcare and social service providers, community organizations, and government entities that manage or deliver services.
From a funding standpoint, the opportunity is categorized as discretionary and uses the grant funding instrument under the health activity category (CFDA 93.866). The award ceiling is listed as $250,000, with an expected number of awards of 3. The announcement was created on September 16, 2019, and the original closing date was February 3, 2020, which places it in a defined historical application window, but the content still clearly signals NIH priorities for dementia care measurement, service access, and outcomes research in HCBS settings.
Overall, the FOA is aimed at pushing the field toward more precise, usable, and scalable ways to document and evaluate dementia care in the community. The most responsive proposals would be those that not only describe HCBS utilization and barriers, but also leave the field with better instruments and better data pathways that can be adopted or adapted by other researchers and systems to improve understanding of unmet needs and strengthen dementia care policy and practice.Apply for RFA AG 20 038
- The Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Dementia Care: Home- and Community-Based Services (HCBS) (R21 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.866.
- This funding opportunity was created on Sep 16, 2019.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Feb 03, 2020. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $250,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 3 candidate(s).
- 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 (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the Dementia Care: Home- and Community-Based Services (HCBS) funding opportunity?
This funding opportunity, titled "Dementia Care: Home- and Community-Based Services (HCBS) (R21 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)" (RFA-AG-20-038), is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant announcement within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It focuses on improving how dementia care delivered in home and community settings is understood, measured, and documented for people living with Alzheimer's disease and Alzheimer's disease-related dementias (AD/ADRD).
What is the main purpose of this FOA?
The central purpose is to support studies that examine real-world outcomes of care in home and community settings by mapping which HCBS supports are actually being used, identifying gaps and unmet needs, and clarifying practical barriers that prevent individuals and families from accessing appropriate services. A major goal is to strengthen the evidence base around what services people receive outside institutional settings and what those services mean for patient and caregiver outcomes.
What types of settings does this FOA focus on?
This FOA focuses on home- and community-based settings, specifically looking at services and supports used outside institutional care settings.
Who is the target population for the research supported by this FOA?
The FOA is centered on people living with Alzheimer's disease and Alzheimer's disease-related dementias (AD/ADRD), along with the caregiving context and service systems that support them in home and community environments.
What kinds of research questions are encouraged under this FOA?
Projects are encouraged to examine real-world outcomes of care by documenting which HCBS supports are used, where gaps exist, what unmet needs remain, and what barriers prevent access to appropriate services. The FOA also emphasizes improving the ability to measure and compare services and outcomes across programs, communities, and populations.
Does this FOA prioritize measurement tool development?
Yes. A key emphasis is on creating or substantially improving measurement tools related to dementia HCBS. This includes developing new instruments or improving existing ones to better capture service use and access issues in home and community settings.
What specific aspects of HCBS does the FOA want measurement tools to capture?
The FOA highlights tools that more accurately capture the type, intensity, timing, quality, and coordination of HCBS used by people with AD/ADRD. It also encourages tools that better measure barriers to access and unmet service needs.
Is improving data quality and data access part of the scope?
Yes. The FOA highlights improving data quality and data access and points to interest in better methods for collecting, validating, linking, or harmonizing data relevant to dementia care in community settings.
What is the funding mechanism for this opportunity?
The mechanism is an NIH R21 grant, which is typically intended for exploratory and developmental research rather than large-scale definitive studies.
Are clinical trials allowed under this FOA?
No. The announcement states "Clinical Trial Not Allowed," meaning the proposed work cannot include an NIH-defined clinical trial, such as prospectively assigning people to an intervention to evaluate effects on health-related outcomes.
If clinical trials are not allowed, what types of study designs are still appropriate?
Appropriate designs include observational research, secondary data analyses, instrument development and validation studies, and other non-trial approaches aimed at understanding service use and outcomes in home and community contexts.
What kinds of organizations are eligible to apply?
Eligibility is broad. Eligible applicants include state, county, and city/township governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status (excluding higher education institutions in those categories); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; small businesses; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; Native American tribal governments (federally recognized); and tribal organizations other than federally recognized governments.
Why is eligibility so broad for this FOA?
The FOA reflects that meaningful HCBS research often involves partnerships across universities, healthcare and social service providers, community organizations, and government entities that manage or deliver services. Broad eligibility supports that cross-sector reality.
What is the award ceiling listed for this opportunity?
The award ceiling is listed as $250,000.
How many awards were expected?
The expected number of awards is 3.
What agency and department sponsor this opportunity?
The sponsor is the National Institutes of Health (NIH), within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
How is this opportunity categorized in funding terms?
The opportunity is categorized as discretionary and uses the grant funding instrument under the health activity category. The CFDA number listed is 93.866.
What was the application timeline for this FOA?
The announcement was created on September 16, 2019, and the original closing date was February 3, 2020, indicating a defined historical application window.
Even though the closing date has passed, what does this FOA signal about NIH priorities?
Based on the content, it signals NIH priorities around strengthening measurement of dementia care in home and community settings, documenting HCBS utilization and barriers, improving data quality and access, and connecting services and service access to patient and caregiver outcomes.
What would a highly responsive proposal generally aim to deliver?
The most responsive proposals would not only describe HCBS utilization, barriers, and unmet needs, but also leave the field with better instruments and better data pathways that can be adopted or adapted by other researchers and systems to improve understanding of unmet needs and strengthen dementia care policy and practice.
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