Opportunity Information: Apply for PA 19 024
Addressing Caregiver Symptoms through Technological Tools (R21 Clinical Trial Optional) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding opportunity (PA-19-024) that supports early-stage, exploratory research aimed at creating and testing technology-based tools that directly target symptoms experienced by caregivers. The central point of the announcement is that the caregiver is the patient of interest for the research question, meaning proposals should focus on identifying, measuring, and reducing caregiver symptoms regardless of the care recipient's diagnosis, disease severity, or symptom profile. In practice, this prioritizes projects that treat caregiver well-being as a primary outcome rather than a secondary effect of patient-focused care.
The opportunity emphasizes the need for better ways to recognize and assess caregiver symptoms, along with practical technological strategies to reduce distress. This can include building or adapting digital tools that help caregivers detect early signs of strain, track symptom patterns over time, and receive timely support. The announcement also points to the broader science gaps it wants to address: improving what is known about which symptoms caregivers experience (for example, stress, anxiety, depression, sleep disturbance, fatigue, burden, or other forms of psychological and physical distress), understanding which caregiving contexts and circumstances make those symptoms more likely or more severe, and determining what types of tools are feasible, acceptable, and effective for caregivers in real-world settings. Because the mechanism is an R21, the intent is typically to fund innovative, proof-of-concept work, pilot testing, and early evaluation that can later justify larger definitive studies.
The funding instrument is a grant, categorized under education and health, with CFDA number 93.361. The listed award ceiling is $200,000, signaling that projects should be appropriately scoped for a small, developmental research award. The FOA is labeled "Clinical Trial Optional," which means applicants may propose studies that do or do not meet the NIH definition of a clinical trial, depending on the design and whether participants are prospectively assigned to an intervention to evaluate health-related outcomes. That flexibility can accommodate a range of studies, from usability and feasibility work to small randomized pilots, depending on what is necessary to test the caregiver-focused technology and outcomes.
Eligibility is broad and includes many types of U.S. organizations and institutions, such as 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 that are not federally recognized; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with and without 501(c)(3) status (outside higher education); for-profit organizations (other than small businesses) as well as small businesses; and other applicant types. The announcement also explicitly welcomes additional eligible applicants such as Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible federal agencies, regional organizations, U.S. territories or possessions, and even non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities/foreign organizations. This wide eligibility reflects the expectation that caregiver support tools may be developed and tested across diverse communities, service settings, and research environments.
Key administrative details include an original closing date of 2022-01-07 and a creation date of 2018-10-12. Overall, the program is designed to stimulate innovative, caregiver-centered technology research that improves detection and assessment of caregiver symptoms and develops realistic tools to reduce symptom distress, strengthening the evidence base for how to support caregivers in varied caregiving situations.Apply for PA 19 024
- The National Institutes of Health in the education, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Addressing Caregiver Symptoms through Technological Tools (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): 93.361.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2018-10-12.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2022-01-07. (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 $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.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the funding opportunity called?
The opportunity is titled Addressing Caregiver Symptoms through Technological Tools (R21 Clinical Trial Optional). It is an NIH funding opportunity announcement (FOA) identified as PA-19-024.
Which agency is offering this grant?
This is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding opportunity.
What is the main goal of this FOA?
The FOA supports early-stage, exploratory research to create and test technology-based tools that directly target symptoms experienced by caregivers. A central theme is improving how caregiver symptoms are recognized, assessed, measured, and reduced using practical technological strategies.
Who is considered the "patient" or primary focus in these projects?
The caregiver is the patient of interest for the research question. Applications are expected to focus on identifying, measuring, and reducing caregiver symptoms, treating caregiver well-being as a primary outcome rather than a secondary effect of patient-focused care.
Does the care recipient's diagnosis or disease severity matter for eligibility or focus?
The FOA emphasizes caregiver symptoms regardless of the care recipient's diagnosis, disease severity, or symptom profile. In other words, the caregiver-focused outcomes are intended to be central even when caregiving contexts vary.
What kinds of caregiver symptoms does the FOA mention?
Examples of caregiver symptoms highlighted include stress, anxiety, depression, sleep disturbance, fatigue, burden, and other forms of psychological and physical distress.
What types of technology-based tools are encouraged?
The FOA describes tools that can help caregivers:
- Detect early signs of strain
- Track symptom patterns over time
- Receive timely support
This can include building new digital tools or adapting existing ones, as long as they directly address caregiver symptoms.
What research gaps is this opportunity trying to address?
The FOA points to several science gaps, including the need to:
- Improve knowledge of which symptoms caregivers experience
- Understand which caregiving contexts and circumstances make symptoms more likely or more severe
- Determine what tools are feasible, acceptable, and effective for caregivers in real-world settings
What does "R21" mean in this context?
The mechanism is an R21, which is intended to support innovative, proof-of-concept work, including pilot development, early testing, and preliminary evaluation that can later support larger, more definitive studies.
Is a clinical trial required?
No. The FOA is labeled "Clinical Trial Optional", meaning applicants may propose studies that do or do not meet the NIH definition of a clinical trial.
What does "Clinical Trial Optional" allow applicants to propose?
Because clinical trials are optional, the FOA can accommodate a range of study types, such as:
- Usability or feasibility studies
- Pilot testing of caregiver-focused technology tools
- Small randomized pilot studies, when appropriate
The key point is that the design should match what is necessary to test the caregiver-focused technology and outcomes.
What is the funding instrument and program category?
The funding instrument is a grant. It is categorized under education and health.
What is the CFDA number for this opportunity?
The CFDA number listed is 93.361.
What is the award ceiling?
The listed award ceiling is $200,000, which suggests projects should be scoped as a small, developmental research effort consistent with an R21.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is broad and includes many types of applicants, including:
- State governments
- County governments
- City or township governments
- 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 that are not federally recognized
- Public housing authorities / Indian housing authorities
- Nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status (other than higher education)
- Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status (other than higher education)
- For-profit organizations (other than small businesses)
- Small businesses
- Other applicant types
Are minority-serving institutions and community organizations specifically encouraged or included?
Yes. The announcement explicitly welcomes additional eligible applicants such as:
- Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions
- Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs)
- Hispanic-serving Institutions
- Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)
- Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs)
- Faith-based or community-based organizations
Can federal agencies, regional organizations, or U.S. territories apply?
Yes. The FOA includes eligibility for eligible federal agencies, regional organizations, and U.S. territories or possessions.
Are non-U.S. organizations eligible?
Yes. The eligibility list includes non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities/foreign organizations.
What kinds of outcomes does the FOA prioritize measuring?
The FOA prioritizes outcomes related to caregiver symptoms and caregiver well-being (for example, distress-related symptoms like stress, anxiety, depression, sleep disturbance, fatigue, and burden), with caregiver well-being treated as a primary outcome.
Does the FOA support tools aimed at assessment as well as intervention?
Yes. The FOA emphasizes both better ways to recognize and assess caregiver symptoms and practical technological strategies to reduce distress, including tools for early detection, symptom tracking, and timely support.
When was this opportunity created, and what was the listed closing date?
The FOA creation date is listed as 2018-10-12, and the original closing date is listed as 2022-01-07.
How should applicants think about scope given the award ceiling?
With a listed ceiling of $200,000 and an R21 mechanism, the FOA signals a focus on early-stage work such as proof-of-concept tool development, pilot testing, and early evaluation rather than large, definitive trials.
What is the overall purpose of the program?
The program is designed to stimulate innovative, caregiver-centered technology research that strengthens the evidence base for supporting caregivers across varied caregiving situations by improving detection and assessment of symptoms and developing realistic tools to reduce symptom distress.
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