Technical Assistance Resources for Applicants to AHRQ's Healthcare Extension Service: State-based Solutions to Healthcare Improvement

A range of technical assistance resources are available for applicants to AHRQ's Healthcare Extension Service: State-based Solutions to Healthcare Improvement funding opportunities. A current Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) seeks applicants to the initiative’s central component: State-based Healthcare Extension Cooperatives to Accelerate Implementation of Actionable Knowledge into Practice. Two other funding opportunities seek applicants for the initiative's National Coordinating Center and National Evaluation Center.

Resources for applicants include pre-application technical assistance webinars, application and registration guidance, a model for how the Healthcare Extension Service works, a guide on how to develop and sustain Healthcare Extension Cooperatives, as well as Frequently Asked Questions.

Technical Assistance Webinars 

Several technical assistance webinars have been developed to explain the components of the three Notice of Funding Opportunities that are part of AHRQ's Healthcare Extension Service, including the Healthcare Extension Cooperatives, National Coordinating Center, and National Evaluation Center. These webinars are available here.

Application Registration Requirements

• Applicant organizations must complete and maintain the following registrations as described in the How to Apply Application Guide to be eligible to apply for or receive an award.
• All registrations must be completed prior to the application being submitted.
• Registration can take 6 weeks or more, so applicants should begin the registration process as soon as possible. The renewal process may require as much time as the initial registration.
• Applicants must complete and maintain an active registration with the System for Award Management, which requires renewal at least annually.
• Once the unique organization identifier is established, organizations can register with eRA Commons in tandem with completing their Grants.gov registration. The eRA Commons is an online interface for signing officials, principal investigators, trainees, and post-docs at institutions/organizations to access and share administrative information relating to federal awards.
• All registrations must be in place by time of submission. eRA Commons requires organizations to identify at least one Signing Official and at least one Program Director/Principal Investigator account in order to submit an application.

Grant Application Guidance

Access tips for grant applicants and grant submission options.

Healthcare Extension Service Logic Model

This model shows how the Healthcare Extension Service is intended to provide state-based solutions for healthcare improvement. It identifies the planned inputs and program activities along with expected outputs, outcomes, and longer-term impacts of these activities. The logic model is a guide for planning, implementation, and evaluation efforts.

Developing and Sustaining State-based Infrastructure to Support Primary Care Quality Improvement—A How-To Guide

This guide provides guidance about developing and sustaining state-based cooperatives that aim to strengthen the capacity of healthcare systems, other healthcare organizations, and clinicians to deliver evidence-based whole-person care. It highlights effective approaches, lessons learned, and sample materials from the AHRQ initiatives designed to provide external quality improvement support for primary care practices. Applicants to the AHRQ Healthcare Extension Service are not required to focus on primary care, but the guide may also be helpful for quality improvement in other settings.

Building State Cooperatives for Healthcare Improvement: Meeting Summary

On September 26, 2024, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) held the Building State Cooperatives for Healthcare Improvement meeting to identify the key components and processes needed for developing state cooperatives for accelerating the implementation of evidence into practice to advise future efforts.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

AHRQ will develop and post FAQs in response to common questions from applicants to AHRQ’s Healthcare Extension Service Notices of Funding Opportunity.

Read FAQs here. Please send your inquiries to AHRQ_HES@ahrq.hhs.gov.