Intervening with Cancer Caregivers to Improve Patient Health Outcomes and Optimize Health Care Utilization (R21 Clinical Trial Optional) | PAR 18 247

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 18 247

The NIH funding opportunity titled "Intervening with Cancer Caregivers to Improve Patient Health Outcomes and Optimize Health Care Utilization (R21 Clinical Trial Optional)" (Funding Opportunity Number PAR-18-247) supports early-stage, exploratory intervention research focused on caregivers of adult cancer patients. The central idea is that caregivers often carry a large share of day-to-day responsibility for symptom monitoring, treatment support, care coordination, and emotional support, yet they frequently receive limited training or structured help. This FOA is looking for projects that design and test interventions that strengthen caregivers skills and resilience, with the expectation that better-supported caregivers can improve both patient outcomes and how patients use the health care system.

Projects funded under this announcement are expected to build and evaluate interventions that do things like provide practical care training (for example, managing medications, recognizing and responding to symptoms, navigating appointments, or coordinating with clinicians), teach coping and stress-management strategies, and generally improve the caregiver ability to manage complex cancer care demands. The FOA emphasizes measurable downstream outcomes in three broad areas: first, optimizing patient health care utilization, meaning interventions should aim to reduce avoidable or inefficient use of care (such as preventable emergency department visits, unplanned hospitalizations, or poor follow-through with outpatient care), and ideally support more appropriate, timely, and cost-effective care patterns. Second, improving caregiver well-being, which can include reducing caregiver burden, distress, depression or anxiety, improving self-efficacy and confidence, and supporting overall quality of life. Third, improving patient outcomes, including physical health indicators and psychosocial outcomes (for example, symptom burden, functional status, emotional well-being, and overall quality of life).

This is an R21 mechanism, which generally aligns with pilot or proof-of-concept work, including testing feasibility, acceptability, preliminary effectiveness signals, and refining intervention components before moving to a larger definitive trial. The FOA is labeled "Clinical Trial Optional," which means applicants may propose a study that does or does not meet the NIH definition of a clinical trial, depending on the design and aims. The funding instrument is a grant under a discretionary program area, and it falls under CFDA numbers 93.395 and 93.399. The listed award ceiling is $200,000, indicating the FOA is geared toward smaller, time-limited studies rather than large multi-year trials.

Eligibility is broad and includes many domestic organization types that commonly apply for NIH grants. 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; tribal organizations other than federally recognized governments; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with and without 501(c)(3) status (as long as they are not institutions of higher education, since those have their own category); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; and small businesses. The FOA also highlights additional eligible applicant groups such as Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISI), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), faith-based or community-based organizations, regional organizations, eligible federal agencies, Indian/Native American tribal governments other than federally recognized, and U.S. territories or possessions. At the same time, it places clear restrictions on foreign involvement: non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities (foreign organizations) and foreign institutions are not eligible to apply, non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible, and foreign components (as defined by the NIH Grants Policy Statement) are not allowed.

The opportunity is administered by the National Institutes of Health. The source information lists an original closing date of April 11, 2019, and a creation date of November 28, 2017, which places the FOA in a specific historical application window; anyone interested in pursuing a similar project today would typically look for a current or reissued version of the announcement, or related caregiver intervention FOAs within NIH. Overall, the purpose of this grant is to encourage practical, testable interventions that recognize caregivers as a key part of the cancer care ecosystem and to generate evidence that supporting caregivers can translate into better patient health, better caregiver outcomes, and more efficient use of health care services.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Intervening with Cancer Caregivers to Improve Patient Health Outcomes and Optimize Health Care Utilization (R21 Clinical Trial Optional)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.395, 93.399.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2017-11-28.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2019-04-11. (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 $200,000.00 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 PAR 18 247

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: