Implementation of shared decision making for HLBS diseases and conditions (R01 Clinical Trial Optional) | PA 19 166

Opportunity Information: Apply for PA 19 166

The NIH funding opportunity "Implementation of shared decision making for HLBS diseases and conditions (R01 Clinical Trial Optional)" (PA-19-166) supports pragmatic research focused on getting shared decision making (SDM) used consistently in everyday care for heart, lung, blood, and sleep (HLBS) diseases and related conditions. The core goal is not to invent SDM from scratch, but to take evidence-based SDM strategies and figure out how to make them work reliably in real clinical environments where time, staffing, workflow constraints, and variable patient needs can make SDM difficult to carry out. Projects are expected to emphasize practical, implementable approaches that increase SDM uptake as part of routine care rather than isolated pilot efforts that are hard to sustain.

A central theme of the opportunity is implementation in pragmatic, real-world settings. Applicants are expected to study and address the kinds of challenges that determine whether SDM is actually used: how to engage patients and, when relevant, surrogate decision makers; how to identify the points in care when a meaningful preference-sensitive decision is needed and which patients are most likely to face those decisions; and how to prepare clinicians and staff to use SDM effectively. The announcement also emphasizes the operational side of implementation, including integrating SDM into clinical workflow without creating excessive burden for patients or staff, and using electronic health records (EHRs) and other technologies to flag eligible patients, prompt SDM at the right time, and document SDM discussions and outputs in a usable way.

The initiative strongly encourages teams to build on what already exists. Proposed studies are required to consider using existing SDM evidence, tools, approaches, and training curricula whenever feasible, rather than duplicating prior work. In practice, that means applicants should be looking at how to adapt, embed, scale, and sustain proven SDM supports (such as decision aids, conversation guides, clinician training modules, and EHR-based prompts or documentation templates) within specific healthcare contexts. The research focus is on determining what implementation strategies work best, for whom, under what conditions, and with what resource requirements.

Projects are expected to be multidisciplinary and carried out in clinical practice settings, with flexibility to include other relevant venues such as community clinics or public health clinics. The research scope spans multiple levels, including patient-level factors (such as low health literacy and other barriers to understanding options and tradeoffs), provider-level factors (such as clinician knowledge, attitudes, and communication skills), contextual factors (such as local culture and patient population needs), and system-level factors (such as staffing models, EHR requirements, quality reporting, and organizational workflow). Applicants are also expected to include evaluation of SDM implementation and to consider sustainability, meaning the long-term viability of care teams and delivery models that can keep SDM functioning after the study ends.

Administratively, this is an NIH discretionary grant using the R01 mechanism, with clinical trials allowed but not required (Clinical Trial Optional). The listed activity category is health, and the CFDA numbers associated with the opportunity are 93.233, 93.837, 93.838, 93.839, and 93.840. The award ceiling is stated as $500,000, and the opportunity was created on January 22, 2019, with an original closing date of May 7, 2022. The sponsoring agency is the National Institutes of Health.

Eligibility is broad and includes many types of U.S.-based organizations and government entities, such as state, county, city/township, and special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled and private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; tribal organizations that are not federally recognized; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with and without 501(c)(3) status; for-profit organizations other than small businesses; small businesses; and other eligible entities. The opportunity also highlights additional applicant types such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), faith-based or community-based organizations, regional organizations, eligible federal agencies, and U.S. territories or possessions. Foreign institutions (non-U.S. entities) are not eligible to apply as applicants, but non-domestic components of U.S. organizations may participate, and foreign components are allowed under the NIH Grants Policy Statement definition.

Overall, this opportunity is aimed at closing the gap between knowing SDM improves patient-centered care and actually delivering SDM consistently in HLBS-related clinical decisions. Competitive projects will typically look like real-world implementation research: grounded in existing SDM evidence, designed with practical workflows and technology in mind, attentive to training and health literacy challenges, and built to produce findings that health systems can realistically adopt and sustain.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Implementation of shared decision making for HLBS diseases and conditions (R01 Clinical Trial Optional)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.233, 93.837, 93.838, 93.839, 93.840.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2019-01-22.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2022-05-07. (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 $500,000.00 in funding.
• 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.

Apply for PA 19 166

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