Tailoring Cardiac Rehabilitation to Enhance Participation of Older Adults (R01) | RFA AG 18 016

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA AG 18 016

The NIH opportunity "Tailoring Cardiac Rehabilitation to Enhance Participation of Older Adults (R01)" (RFA-AG-18-016) is a discretionary research grant from the National Institute on Aging (NIA) aimed at improving how cardiac rehabilitation (CR) works for older and medically vulnerable adults who already qualify for CR under current Medicare eligibility rules. The central problem the announcement targets is that, even though Medicare covers CR for eligible patients, older adults often face barriers that lead to low referral rates, poor enrollment, and difficulty sticking with or completing programs. NIA is looking for clinical trials that test new, practical strategies to increase referral, participation, and adherence, with the idea that better-designed CR for older populations can translate into better real-world outcomes.

The funding call emphasizes that traditional CR programs frequently do not account for age-related needs and constraints. Applications are expected to focus on one or more of three broad, age-related domains. The first is patient-related factors, meaning the specific issues older adults may bring to CR such as frailty, multiple chronic conditions, mobility limitations, cognitive or sensory challenges, transportation barriers, social support limitations, or other vulnerabilities that can interfere with attending sessions and following exercise or risk-reduction plans. The second is CR program goals and components, which points to how CR defines success and what it includes. NIA is encouraging approaches that may shift goals toward outcomes that matter especially to older adults, such as maintaining or improving physical function, independence, and quality of life, and that may incorporate novel program elements tailored to complexity and vulnerability rather than assuming a one-size-fits-all model. The third domain is the CR program setting and delivery context, which includes where and how CR is delivered, and invites innovation in program format, staffing, workflow, or delivery systems that might better fit older participants (for example, alternative sites of care, modified scheduling, or other delivery adaptations).

A major theme of the announcement is identifying which aspects of CR should be modified to better serve medically complex older adults, including potential reconsideration of eligibility nuances within Medicare-covered indications, the use of patient-centered goals and outcomes, and the development of new components or delivery systems. The intended downstream impact is not just higher attendance numbers, but meaningful clinical and functional benefit. The announcement explicitly highlights desired outcomes such as improved function and independence, better quality of life, reduced disability, fewer future cardiovascular events, fewer hospital readmissions, and lower morbidity and mortality. In other words, the trial designs should connect improved participation in CR with tangible benefits that matter to older adults and the health system.

This is an R01 grant mechanism under the NIH, categorized in the health funding activity area, with CFDA number 93.866. The listed award ceiling is $700,000, and the original closing date shown in the source information is 2017-11-08 (suggesting this particular announcement was time-limited and may now be archived, though the summary still reflects what the call sought at the time). The announcement anticipates multiple awards, though the exact number is not specified in the provided data.

Eligibility is broad and includes many types of U.S.-based organizations and government entities. Eligible applicants include state, county, city/township, and 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; other tribal organizations; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (excluding higher education institutions in that nonprofit category); for-profit organizations (other than small businesses); and small businesses. The announcement also calls out additional eligible applicant categories such as Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, AANAPISIs, Hispanic-serving institutions, HBCUs, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities, faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible federal agencies, regional organizations, and U.S. territories or possessions.

Foreign eligibility is restricted in a specific way. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities and non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible to apply as the applicant organization. However, foreign components are allowed when they meet the NIH definition in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, meaning a U.S.-based applicant can include certain foreign collaborations or elements if they are justified and compliant with NIH policy. Overall, the opportunity is geared toward rigorous, trial-based testing of redesigned or re-delivered cardiac rehabilitation models that are realistically implementable and specifically built around the needs, limitations, and priorities of older adults covered by Medicare CR benefits.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Tailoring Cardiac Rehabilitation to Enhance Participation of Older Adults (R01)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.866.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2017-07-28.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2017-11-08. (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 $700,000.00 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 RFA AG 18 016

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