Leveraging Health Information Technology (Health IT) to Address and Reduce Health Care Disparities (R01 Clinical Trial Optional) | PAR 22 145

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 22 145

Leveraging Health Information Technology (Health IT) to Address and Reduce Health Care Disparities (R01 Clinical Trial Optional) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) research grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number PAR 22-145) that funds studies looking at how health information technology can be used to measurably reduce health care disparities in the United States. The central focus is on research that tests or evaluates the real-world impact of health IT on three closely related problem areas: unequal access to care, gaps in patient-clinician communication, and differences in health outcomes experienced by populations that face health disparities. This is an R01 mechanism, meaning it is intended for substantial, hypothesis-driven or well-justified research projects, and it allows clinical trials but does not require them (clinical trial optional). In practice, that means applicants can propose observational, implementation, evaluation, or intervention research, and they can include a clinical trial design if it is appropriate for the question being studied.

The intent of the announcement is not just to support building new technologies for their own sake, but to generate evidence about whether and how health IT can close equity gaps. Projects are expected to examine impact, which typically implies outcomes that matter to equity, such as improvements in timely access to services, reduced barriers to navigation, better understanding and responsiveness in clinical encounters, stronger continuity of care, or improved clinical and patient-reported outcomes among underserved groups. Health IT in this context can include tools and systems used by patients, clinicians, health systems, or communities, such as electronic health records and their embedded functions, patient portals, telehealth platforms, clinical decision support, digital communication tools, remote monitoring, mobile health applications, data sharing and interoperability approaches, and analytics that identify inequities or trigger targeted outreach. The populations of interest are groups in the U.S. that experience health disparities, and the overall expectation is that the proposed research will help explain what works, for whom, and under what circumstances, rather than producing results that only apply to highly resourced or atypical settings.

A wide range of domestic organizations are eligible to apply. Eligible applicants include state, county, city or township governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; Native American tribal governments that are federally recognized; Native American tribal organizations that are not federally recognized tribal governments; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with and without 501(c)(3) status; for-profit organizations other than small businesses; and small businesses. The opportunity also explicitly names additional eligible applicant types that often play key roles in disparity-focused work, including Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISISs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), faith-based or community-based organizations, regional organizations, eligible federal agencies, U.S. territories or possessions, and Indian/Native American tribal governments other than federally recognized ones. The eligibility language is structured to encourage applications from institutions that are closely connected to communities most affected by disparities, including community-rooted organizations and minority-serving institutions that can support trust, culturally responsive design, and realistic implementation environments.

At the same time, the FOA draws clear boundaries around foreign involvement. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities and non-domestic (non-U.S.) institutions are not eligible to apply. In addition, non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible, and foreign components as defined by the NIH Grants Policy Statement are not allowed. In practical terms, applicants need to keep the applicant organization and project components domestic, and design the work so that any project activities, performance sites, and core contributions remain within the permitted U.S.-based framework.

From an administrative standpoint, this is a discretionary grant in the Education and Health funding activity category, with CFDA numbers listed as 93.242, 93.286, 93.307, 93.866, 93.867, and 93.879. The posting indicates an original closing date of 2025-05-07. The award ceiling and expected number of awards are not specified in the provided summary, which is common for NIH FOAs where budgets are often proposed by applicants within NIH policy and then assessed for reasonableness relative to the aims and scope.

Overall, the opportunity is aimed at strengthening the evidence base for equity-focused health IT by funding rigorous research that can show whether specific technologies, implementation strategies, or health system uses of data and digital tools actually reduce disparities, rather than inadvertently widening them. Competitive projects under this FOA typically align technology choices with the needs and constraints of disparity-affected populations, evaluate outcomes that reflect equity and real access, and generate findings that can be translated into health system practice, policy decisions, or scalable implementation approaches across diverse U.S. care settings.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Leveraging Health Information Technology (Health IT) to Address and Reduce Health Care Disparities (R01 Clinical Trial Optional)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.242, 93.286, 93.307, 93.866, 93.867, 93.879.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2022-03-30.
• 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.)
• 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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