End-of-Life and Palliative Needs of Adolescents and Young Adults (AYA) with Serious Illnesses (R21 Clinical Trial Optional) | PA 18 155

Opportunity Information: Apply for PA 18 155

This National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant opportunity, titled "End-of-Life and Palliative Needs of Adolescents and Young Adults (AYA) with Serious Illnesses (R21 Clinical Trial Optional)" (Funding Opportunity Number: PA-18-155), is designed to jump-start exploratory research on how adolescents and young adults ages 12 to 24 experience serious, advanced illness and how end-of-life and palliative care can better meet their needs. The central aim is to generate new knowledge about what AYA patients want and need as their illness progresses, how they think about quality of life and end-of-life issues, and how they and their families make decisions in emotionally and medically complex situations. Because this is an R21 mechanism, the emphasis is typically on early-stage, innovative, and potentially high-impact studies that may not yet have extensive preliminary data but can lay the groundwork for larger future projects.

The announcement highlights two broad and connected research directions. First, it encourages studies focused on the unique perspectives, needs, wishes, and decision-making processes of AYA living with serious illness. That can include research on communication preferences, how AYA patients understand prognosis and treatment tradeoffs, what autonomy and shared decision-making look like at different developmental stages, and how cultural, family, social, and healthcare-system factors shape choices. Second, it invites research on specific end-of-life and palliative care (EOLPC) models tailored for AYA patients. The intent here is to strengthen or test approaches that support the full range of needs AYA patients commonly face, including physical symptom management as well as psychological, spiritual, and social dimensions of care. The FOA explicitly recognizes that families and caregivers are part of the care unit, so studies can also center on caregiver support, family dynamics, bereavement considerations, and coordination between clinical teams and family systems.

A key feature of the opportunity is its holistic view of palliative and end-of-life care for adolescents and young adults. It is not limited to pain control or clinical outcomes alone. Instead, it encourages work that addresses mental health and emotional distress, identity development and peer relationships, school or work disruption, spiritual questions, and the practical realities of navigating healthcare while transitioning between pediatric and adult care settings. In practice, responsive projects might explore how to deliver age-appropriate palliative services, how to integrate palliative care earlier in the illness course, or how to design interventions that improve communication and decision quality for AYA patients and their families. Because "Clinical Trial Optional" is specified, applicants may propose either observational and descriptive research or interventional studies, including clinical trials, when appropriate to the research question.

In terms of funding details provided in the source data, the award ceiling is listed as $200,000. The opportunity category is discretionary, and the funding instrument is a grant. It is associated with several CFDA numbers (93.313, 93.361, 93.393, 93.395, 93.399, 93.865), reflecting NIH program areas that can support this kind of health services, palliative care, or related biomedical and behavioral research. The listing notes an original closing date of 2019-01-07 and a creation date of 2017-11-06, which is useful context for timeline and versioning, though applicants would normally confirm current receipt dates and any reissued announcements directly through NIH.

Eligibility is broad and includes many types of U.S.-based organizations and governmental units, such as state, county, and local governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; Native American tribal governments (federally recognized) and tribal organizations (including those other than federally recognized tribal governments); public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status; for-profit organizations (other than small businesses); and small businesses. The FOA also explicitly calls out additional eligible applicants, including Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISI), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), eligible federal agencies, faith-based or community-based organizations, regional organizations, U.S. territories or possessions, and even non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations). This wide eligibility reflects the reality that meaningful AYA palliative care research can be led by hospitals, universities, community organizations, tribal entities, and cross-regional partnerships, and that valuable insights may come from diverse settings and populations.

Overall, the grant opportunity is aimed at improving the evidence base for how healthcare systems, clinicians, and community supports can deliver developmentally appropriate, culturally responsive, and family-centered palliative and end-of-life care for adolescents and young adults with serious illness. It prioritizes research that takes AYA voices seriously, clarifies what high-quality care looks like from their perspective, and develops or evaluates care models that address the interconnected physical, emotional, spiritual, and social challenges that often accompany life-limiting illness during this unique life stage.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, health, income security and social services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "End-of-Life and Palliative Needs of Adolescents and Young Adults (AYA) with Serious Illnesses (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): 93.313, 93.361, 93.393, 93.395, 93.399, 93.865.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2017-11-06.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2019-01-07. (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.

Apply for PA 18 155

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