Two New Federal Government Funding Opportunities

The Agency for Health Care Research and Quality (AHRQ) has announced a new grant opportunity: Estimating the Costs of Supporting Primary Care Practice Transformation under its small grants program This announcement solicits grant applications from organizations that propose to analyze and describe the costs associated with successful efforts to transform primary care practice. With this announcement, AHRQ is interested in adding knowledge about the direct and indirect costs associated with supporting primary care transformation. While proposed projects may utilize the methods of cost-benefit, cost-effectiveness, or cost-utility analyses on the support and maintenance of primary care transformation, given the dearth of current valid information available, AHRQ also is interested in receiving proposals to document the direct and indirect financial costs shouldered by small and medium sized practices in becoming a patient centered medical home (PCMH) and the direct and indirect external costs involved in successful primary care practice facilitation programs. This opportunity may be of interest to coalitions willing to reach out to partners such as traditional researchers, provider groups, or members that are working on PCMH projects.

DEADLINES: Letters of intent are due January 28, 2013; applications are due February 28, 2013.


The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has also announced a new funding opportunity: Building Capacity of the Public Health System to Improve Population Health Through National, Nonprofit Organizations. The purpose of this program is to ensure the provision of capacity-building assistance (CBA) to optimize the quality and performance of public health systems, the public health workforce, public health data and information systems, public health practice and services, public health partnerships, and public health resources. The applicant’s CBA program is expected to demonstrate measurable progress among governmental and nongovernmental components of the public health system towards two or more of the following outcomes: 1) increased adoption of new or proven business improvements leading to management and administrative efficiencies or cost savings; 2) increased availability and accessibility of continuing education and training focused on public health competencies and new skills, including the use of experience-based internships and fellowships; 3) increased incorporation of core public health competencies into employee position descriptions and performance evaluations; 4) increased integration of state-of-the-art technology into data collection and information systems; 5) increased implementation of evidence-based public health programs, policies, and services; 6) improved capacity to meet nationally established standards, such as those for health department accreditation; 7) establishment and maintenance of diverse public health partnerships for meaningful cooperation and achievement of evidence-based public health strategies and interventions, such as the CDC Winnable Battles; and 8) improved quality, availability, and accessibility of public health education materials, training, and evaluation tools and resources. While CDC is looking for applicants with a national scope, coalitions that are involved in community-based public health efforts may be interested in this opportunity.

DEADLINES: Letters of intent are due February 4, 2013; applications are due March 7, 2013. There is an informational conference call on January 29, 2013.