Screening and Management of Unhealthy Alcohol Use in Primary Care: Dissemination and Implementation of PCOR Evidence (R18) | RFA HS 18 002

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA HS 18 002

The grant opportunity titled "Screening and Management of Unhealthy Alcohol Use in Primary Care: Dissemination and Implementation of PCOR Evidence (R18)" is a discretionary grant program from the Agency for Health Care Research and Quality (AHRQ). Its main purpose is to move existing patient-centered outcomes research (PCOR) findings out of journals and into day-to-day primary care, with a clear emphasis on practical dissemination and implementation. In other words, the program is designed to help primary care settings adopt proven, patient-centered clinical and organizational approaches for identifying unhealthy alcohol use and managing it more effectively, rather than funding basic discovery research. The overall focus is on improving real-world care delivery by integrating evidence-based approaches into routine workflows, clinical decision-making, and organizational practices in primary care environments.

A key theme of the announcement is implementation: taking PCOR evidence and building the tools, processes, and clinic-level supports needed for consistent screening and management of unhealthy alcohol use. Projects under this mechanism would typically be expected to address how primary care practices actually operate, including staff roles, training needs, workflow redesign, patient engagement strategies, and the practical barriers that keep evidence-based alcohol screening and intervention from being used reliably. Because the opportunity is framed around patient-centered care, it also signals an expectation that funded efforts will pay attention to patient preferences, patient experiences, and outcomes that matter to patients, not just utilization or compliance metrics. The intent is to improve both identification (screening) and follow-through (management), so applicants would be aiming to improve the full pathway from recognizing unhealthy alcohol use to delivering appropriate brief interventions, counseling, referral processes, and ongoing support as appropriate within primary care.

The funding instrument is a grant, and the activity category is health. The opportunity number is RFA HS 18 002, and it is associated with CFDA number 93.226. The original closing date listed for applications was 2019-01-17, and the funding opportunity record shows a creation date of 2018-09-13. An award ceiling is referenced in the source data, but no specific dollar figure is provided in the text you shared, and the expected number of awards is also not specified there. For full budget limits, project period details, and the precise expectations for deliverables, evaluation, and reporting, an applicant would need to rely on the complete funding announcement.

Eligibility is intentionally broad, covering a wide range of domestic organizations that could realistically implement primary care practice change at scale or support it through research and technical expertise. 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 or without 501(c)(3) status (as long as they are not institutions of higher education under those categories); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; and small businesses. The opportunity also explicitly highlights additional eligible applicant types 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 agencies of the federal government, regional organizations, Indian/Native American tribal governments that are not federally recognized, and U.S. territories or possessions. This broad eligibility list reflects the fact that meaningful dissemination and implementation often involves partnerships across health systems, community organizations, academic groups, and public-sector entities.

The opportunity also draws a bright line on foreign participation. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities, described both as foreign organizations and foreign institutions, are not eligible to apply. In addition, non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible to apply. However, foreign components, as defined under the HHS Grants Policy Statement, may still participate in a limited way, specifically as part of a consortium or as subcontractors. The practical takeaway is that the prime applicant must be a qualifying U.S.-based entity, and any international involvement must be secondary and structured through subawards or consortium arrangements consistent with HHS policy.

Overall, the opportunity is best understood as a practice-change and system-integration funding initiative: it supports organizations that can take established PCOR evidence about screening and managing unhealthy alcohol use and implement it in primary care in a way that is sustainable, patient-centered, and measurable. It prioritizes getting evidence used consistently in real clinical settings, building the organizational capacity to deliver that care well, and improving outcomes that matter to patients receiving care in primary care practices. For the fine print on required components, review criteria, allowable costs, and the specific PCOR evidence base being emphasized, the complete funding announcement is the controlling source.

• The Agency for Health Care Research and Quality in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Screening and Management of Unhealthy Alcohol Use in Primary Care: Dissemination and Implementation of PCOR Evidence (R18)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.226.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2018-09-13.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2019-01-17. (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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