Leading Edge Acceleration Projects (LEAP) in Health Information Technology
🏛 Office of the National Coordinator
Can you apply?
This grant is for nonprofit organizations and academic institutions seeking to advance health information technology interoperability and data exchange. Eligible recipients include 501(c)3 nonprofits, public universities, research institutions, and academic medical centers. For-profit companies may only participate as sub-recipients or consortium members, not as primary applicants. Foreign institutions face the same restrictions. Organizations described in section 501(c)4 that engage in lobbying activities are ineligible. The grant supports projects nationwide that identify barriers to health IT interoperability, develop innovative solutions, and disseminate findings to advance clinical practice.
Program description
While working to implement Cures Act provisions, ONC identified gaps with respect to leveraging EHR data to support population-level analyses and delivery of services, as well as integrating clinical knowledge into routine clinical practice. The reasons for these gaps range from a lack of data standards and interoperability to the digitization, integration, and presentation of new evidence into clinical workflows in safe, useful, and useable ways. Therefore, this funding opportunity will support innovative and breakthrough solutions critical to maximize the potential of health IT and achieve the goal of a transformed health care delivery system through various methods, such as:• Determining the fundamental questions, the answers to which will identify barriers to nationwide interoperability and electronic exchange of health data.• Engaging the health IT industry, along with academic researchers, to identify and develop innovative solutions that address barriers to interoperability.• Disseminating findings from research while fostering collaboration, advancement, and implementation of solutions and lessons learned with the health IT industry.
Who can apply
Eligible applicants
How to apply
Application links
Key dates & requirements
Required documents
- SF-424 Federal Application for Grants and Cooperative Agreements
- Project Narrative
- Budget and Budget Narrative
- Organizational Capability Statement
- Letters of Commitment from Partner Organizations
- Management Plan and Timeline
Program contact
- 👤 Office of the National Coordinator
- 📧 support@grants.gov
- 📞 202-205-5621
Funding track record
Recent awards under CFDA 93.345 from the last 3 years — real organizations that won funding through this same program.
Top 10 Largest Recent Awards
-
$2,049,868
-
$1,000,000
-
$1,000,000
-
$1,000,000
-
$999,990
-
$999,977
-
$999,768
-
$999,330
-
$999,227
-
$998,903
Top States by Funding
- MA 3 awards $3.3M
- IL 3 awards $3.0M
- MD 3 awards $3.0M
- NY 2 awards $2.0M
- CO 1 awards $1.0M
Source: USAspending.gov — federal spending transparency. Data covers last 3 years.
Funding history
Annual funding for this program — Federal obligations (CFDA 93.345). How funding has trended year over year.
| 2024 | $2,000,000 | |
| 2025 | $2,000,000 | |
| 2026 est. | $2,000,000 |
FAQ
Can a for-profit company apply directly?
No. For-profits can only participate as sub-recipients or consortium members. Primary applicants must be nonprofits or academic institutions.
What types of projects are funded?
Projects that identify interoperability barriers, develop innovative health IT solutions, and disseminate research findings to the health IT industry.
Is cost-sharing required?
No. This grant does not require cost-sharing or matching funds.
What is the funding range?
Awards typically range from $500,000 to $1,000,000 per project.
Who can participate in consortia?
For-profits and foreign institutions are welcome as consortium members or sub-recipients, even though they cannot be primary applicants.
💡 Tips for applicants
- Frame your project around solving specific interoperability barriers, not general health IT improvements. Be concrete about the problem you'll address.
- Emphasize collaboration with industry partners. ONC values projects that engage health IT vendors and academic researchers together.
- Show a clear dissemination plan. The grant requires sharing findings with the health IT community, not just publishing research.
- If you include for-profit partners, clearly define their role as sub-recipients or consortium members. Be explicit about governance and decision-making.
- Address health equity and real-world implementation. Position your solution as ready for practical adoption in diverse care settings.
⚠️ Common mistakes
Applications fail when they propose general research without addressing concrete interoperability barriers. Projects lacking clear industry engagement or dissemination strategies fall short of ONC's expectations.
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