Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)-sponsored National Research Service Award (NRSA) Individual Postdoctoral Fellowship (F32) | PA 22 251

Opportunity Information: Apply for PA 22 251

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)-sponsored National Research Service Award (NRSA) Individual Postdoctoral Fellowship (F32), funding opportunity number PA 22-251 (CFDA 93.225), is a discretionary grant program designed to support advanced research training for postdoctoral researchers who are positioned to become independent, productive investigators in health services research. The central aim is not simply to fund a single research project, but to strengthen the fellow's career development through a mentored training experience that builds the skills, publications, and research foundation needed to compete for future independent funding. Projects are expected to align with AHRQ's mission and priorities, meaning applicants should focus on health services research topics that improve the quality, safety, effectiveness, and value of health care, as well as the ways health care is delivered, organized, financed, and measured.

This fellowship specifically targets promising postdoctoral candidates and emphasizes a structured training plan under the guidance of experienced mentors. While the NOFO supports strong research immersion, it places a clear boundary on clinical trial leadership: applicants are not permitted to propose leading an independent clinical trial as the primary driver of the fellowship. However, applicants are allowed to include research training experiences that take place within a clinical trial environment, as long as the trial itself is led by a sponsor or co-sponsor. In practice, this means a fellow may gain meaningful experience working with clinical trial data, trial operations, recruitment methods, outcomes assessment, or implementation questions, but the fellow cannot be the person responsible for running the clinical trial as the primary investigator for the trial.

In terms of eligibility, the opportunity is open to eligible U.S.-based applicant organizations, including public and state-controlled institutions of higher education. Foreign institutions (non-U.S. entities) are not eligible to apply as the primary applicant, and non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations are also not eligible to serve in that applicant role. At the same time, the announcement allows for limited international involvement through "foreign components" as defined in the HHS Grants Policy Statement, but only in a supporting capacity such as being part of a consortium arrangement or serving as a subcontractor. This structure keeps the main fellowship and primary training environment anchored in the United States while still allowing specialized collaboration when it is justified and properly arranged.

Key administrative details provided include the sponsoring agency (AHRQ), the funding instrument type (grant), the activity category (health), and the original closing date of August 8, 2025. The source listing does not specify an award ceiling or the expected number of awards in the excerpt provided, so applicants typically need to consult the full NOFO and associated NIH/AHRQ NRSA guidance to understand stipend levels, allowable costs, training-related expenses, and other budget rules that commonly apply to F32 mechanisms.

Overall, this AHRQ F32 opportunity is best understood as a mentored postdoctoral training award for researchers committed to health services research, where the review focus is likely to weigh the applicant's potential, the quality of the mentorship and training environment, the relevance to AHRQ priorities, and the strength and feasibility of the proposed research and career development plan, while maintaining the restriction that the applicant may not lead an independent clinical trial.

• The Agency for Health Care Research and Quality in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)-sponsored National Research Service Award (NRSA) Individual Postdoctoral Fellowship (F32)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.225.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2022-09-12.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2025-08-08. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education.

Apply for PA 22 251

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