AHRQ Conference Grant Programs (R13)

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is dedicated to enhancing the quality, safety, efficiency, and effectiveness of healthcare for all Americans. AHRQ supports research that helps people make more informed decisions and improves the quality of healthcare services. To further these objectives, AHRQ administers the Conference Grant Programs (R13), a mechanism that provides support for conferences and scientific meetings aligned with the agency’s mission. This program allows stakeholders to explore emerging healthcare challenges, disseminate evidence-based tools, and build capacity within the health services research community. Under this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), AHRQ seeks to fund single-year and multiple-year conferences that align with its goals of improving accessibility, equity, affordability, and quality in healthcare. Eligible conferences include four categories: Research Development; Research Design and Methodology; Dissemination and Implementation; and Research Training, Infrastructure, and Career Development. Conferences must clearly contribute to the development or dissemination of health services research. Notably, training conferences must focus on faculty and stakeholder collaboration rather than didactic instruction. Conferences may be held in-person, virtually, or as a hybrid format. Regardless of the delivery method, costs must be well-justified, with virtual conferences expected to be more cost-effective. AHRQ will provide up to $50,000 in direct costs annually per award under this NOFO, with no allowance for Facilities and Administrative (F&A) costs. Applications may propose either full or partial funding of a conference, and a detailed composite budget covering all funding sources is mandatory. For single-year grants, the performance period may not exceed one year, whereas multiple-year conference grants may be awarded for up to three years to support recurring annual events. After three consecutive years of funding for the same conference, applicants must transition from single-year to multiple-year applications. No funds may be used for food, promotional items, honoraria, or certain personal expenses, and applicants must comply with federal travel and spending restrictions. Eligibility is broad and includes public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofits, and governmental entities at the state, local, and tribal levels. For-profit organizations and foreign institutions are not eligible to apply directly but may participate through subcontracts or consortia. Applicants must be registered in key federal systems including SAM, eRA Commons, and Grants.gov. The principal investigator must have an eRA Commons account, and all applications must be submitted electronically via Grants.gov using the SF424 (R&R) forms, as paper submissions are not permitted. Applications must follow standard NIH submission deadlines, with the earliest submission date for this NOFO having been December 12, 2022. Although this NOFO officially expired on March 17, 2026, AHRQ notes that NIH late or continuous submission policies may still allow for case-by-case application acceptance. Peer reviews typically occur about four months after receipt, and applicants should plan for at least an eight-month gap between submission and award start dates. AHRQ requires grantees to clearly indicate the proposed conference date and location in the application and to submit a final performance report within 90 days of the event. The conference proposals are reviewed based on their significance, innovation, design, and alignment with AHRQ priorities. Conferences should benefit national or regional audiences and present clear plans for dissemination of outputs. Applications that do not include health services research content, or that fail to include a composite budget, will not be reviewed. Contacts for scientific and technical assistance include the AHRQ Division of Policy, Coordination and Analysis ([email protected]), and fiscal inquiries may be directed to Brian Campbell in the Division of Grants Management ([email protected]).