Dissemination and Implementation Research in Health (R21 Clinical Trial Optional) | PAR 22 109

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 22 109

The NIH funding opportunity "Dissemination and Implementation Research in Health (R21 Clinical Trial Optional)" (PAR-22-109) supports early-stage, exploratory projects that focus on how to get proven health interventions used effectively in real-world settings. The central goal is to fund studies that identify, develop, and/or test strategies to overcome practical barriers that prevent evidence-based interventions, practices, programs, tools, treatments, guidelines, and policies from being adopted, adapted appropriately, integrated into routine workflows, scaled up to reach more people, and sustained over time. In plain terms, the FOA is about closing the gap between what research shows works and what actually gets delivered in clinics, communities, public health systems, schools, and other service settings.

A major emphasis is on understanding and improving the processes that drive successful implementation. Applicants are encouraged to study why evidence-based approaches stall or fail when moved into everyday practice, and to design and test implementation strategies that address those bottlenecks. That can include challenges like limited staffing, insufficient training, workflow disruptions, financing and reimbursement constraints, leadership support, organizational culture, policy misalignment, technology limitations, or mismatches between an intervention and the needs or values of the population being served. The FOA also recognizes that implementation is rarely one-size-fits-all, so it explicitly allows work on adaptation, meaning thoughtful modification of interventions or delivery approaches to fit local contexts while maintaining core elements that make them effective.

Equity is a clear priority in this announcement. The NIH explicitly encourages studies that promote equitable dissemination and implementation of evidence-based interventions among underrepresented communities. That typically means proposals that address structural and contextual barriers contributing to unequal access, uptake, quality, and outcomes, and that test strategies designed to improve reach and benefit for groups that have historically been left out of research or underserved in health systems. Projects may be especially responsive if they are grounded in community engagement, reflect local priorities, and are designed to reduce disparities in access to evidence-based care or prevention.

The FOA also highlights "de-implementation," which is the flip side of implementation. Beyond promoting the adoption of what works, NIH is interested in understanding when and how to stop or reduce the use of practices that are ineffective, unproven, low-value, or harmful. De-implementation research can involve identifying why outdated or non-beneficial practices persist, what incentives or norms keep them in place, and what strategies (such as policy changes, clinical decision support, audit and feedback, payment reform, or targeted education) effectively reduce their use without causing unintended consequences.

In addition to applied projects, the announcement encourages studies that advance dissemination and implementation research methods and measures. That includes improving how implementation outcomes are defined and measured (for example, adoption, fidelity, reach, acceptability, feasibility, sustainability, and cost), developing better study designs for real-world settings, improving analytic approaches to handle complex systems and multi-level influences, and creating practical tools that organizations can use to assess readiness, monitor implementation progress, and sustain programs over time. This methods focus signals that NIH is not only funding specific implementation problems, but also investing in the scientific infrastructure of the D and I field.

This is an R21 mechanism, which generally signals a shorter, exploratory grant aimed at early or concept-developing work rather than a large, long-term definitive trial. The listing notes "Clinical Trial Optional," meaning applicants can propose a clinical trial if it fits the research question, but they are not required to do so. The award ceiling shown is $275,000. The opportunity is offered by the National Institutes of Health, and applications must align with the mission of one of the participating NIH Institutes and Centers.

Eligibility is broad and includes many types of organizations that can conduct or partner on health research. Eligible applicants include state, county, city, and special district governments; independent school districts; public and private institutions of higher education; Native American tribal governments (federally recognized) and tribal organizations (including those other than federally recognized); public housing authorities; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status; for-profit organizations (other than small businesses) and small businesses; and other entities. The FOA also specifically calls out additional eligible applicants such as Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, AANAPISI institutions, Hispanic-serving institutions, HBCUs, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities, faith-based and community-based organizations, eligible federal agencies, regional organizations, U.S. territories or possessions, and even non-U.S. (foreign) organizations. This broad eligibility aligns with the reality that dissemination and implementation research often requires partnerships across academic, clinical, community, and government settings to test strategies under real-world conditions.

Key administrative details from the source include the opportunity category (discretionary), funding instrument type (grant), and the original closing date of 2025-05-07. The CFDA numbers listed span multiple NIH program areas, reflecting that dissemination and implementation research is relevant across many health domains rather than being limited to a single disease area or population. Overall, this FOA is designed for teams that want to study how to make evidence-based health approaches stick in practice, how to spread them fairly and effectively, how to retire low-value practices, and how to strengthen the methods used to study these problems.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, environment, health, income security and social services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Dissemination and Implementation Research in Health (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): 93.113, 93.172, 93.173, 93.213, 93.242, 93.273, 93.279, 93.313, 93.361, 93.399, 93.846, 93.853, 93.855, 93.865, 93.866, 93.989.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2022-05-10.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2025-05-07. (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 $275,000.00 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 22 109

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