Palliative Care Needs of Individuals with Rare Advanced Diseases and Their Family Caregivers (R21 Clinical Trial Optional) | PA 18 167

Opportunity Information: Apply for PA 18 167

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding opportunity titled "Palliative Care Needs of Individuals with Rare Advanced Diseases and Their Family Caregivers (R21 Clinical Trial Optional)" (Funding Opportunity Number PA-18-167) is a discretionary grant program designed to strengthen the research evidence base for palliative care in the context of advanced rare diseases, including rare cancers. The core purpose is to generate new knowledge that can improve both physical and psychosocial well-being and overall quality of life for people living with serious, advanced rare conditions, while also addressing the needs and burdens experienced by their family caregivers. In practical terms, the FOA is aimed at studies that help clinicians, health systems, and communities better understand what patients and caregivers need as disease progresses, how those needs differ across rare conditions, and what palliative care approaches are most useful or feasible in these populations.

This opportunity uses the NIH R21 mechanism, which typically supports exploratory or developmental research. That emphasis signals a focus on early-stage or innovative studies that may be testing new ideas, gathering preliminary data, refining measures, piloting interventions, or examining under-studied symptoms and care challenges in rare advanced illness. The "Clinical Trial Optional" designation means applicants may propose either clinical trial research or non-trial research, depending on what best fits the question being asked. The overall intent is to expand the foundation of evidence where it is currently thin, recognizing that rare diseases often have fewer established care pathways and fewer large studies to guide palliative and supportive care decisions.

Funding falls under NIH program areas associated with health and education research, with CFDA numbers listed as 93.361, 93.393, 93.395, and 93.399, reflecting NIH’s involvement across multiple institutes or program authorities that support related research. The posted award ceiling is $200,000, indicating the maximum amount of funding expected per award under this announcement, consistent with the smaller, exploratory scale of an R21 project. Although the source data does not specify the number of expected awards, the program framing suggests NIH is seeking a range of projects that together can build momentum and fill key knowledge gaps in palliative care for rare advanced diseases.

Eligibility is broad and includes many types of U.S.-based and non-U.S. organizations. Eligible applicants explicitly include state, county, and 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 other than federally recognized tribal governments; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; nonprofit organizations (with or without 501(c)(3) status, excluding institutions of higher education in those categories); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; small businesses; and other unspecified entities that meet NIH requirements. The FOA also highlights 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 non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities or foreign organizations. This wide eligibility signals NIH’s interest in encouraging participation from diverse institutions and communities, including those that may be closely connected to underserved or geographically dispersed patient populations common in rare disease care.

Key dates in the source information show the FOA was created on 2017-11-07, with an original closing date listed as 2020-01-07. Taken together, the announcement frames palliative care research not simply as end-of-life care, but as a broader set of supports for symptom burden, psychosocial stress, decision-making, caregiver strain, and quality of life for individuals living with serious rare illnesses. The overall emphasis is on improving outcomes for both patients and families by building evidence that can be translated into better care models, tools, and practices tailored to the unique realities of advanced rare diseases.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Palliative Care Needs of Individuals with Rare Advanced Diseases and Their Family Caregivers (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, 93.393, 93.395, 93.399.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2017-11-07.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2020-01-07. (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 18 167

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: