Palliative Care Research Across the Lifespan: Leveraging the Palliative Care Consortium
Can you apply?
This grant is for research institutions, academic medical centers, and organizations seeking to conduct palliative care research across the lifespan in partnership with the Palliative Care Consortium. Applicants typically must be 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations, universities, medical schools, or other eligible research institutions with demonstrated capacity to conduct clinical research. The program supports research activities focused on improving palliative and end-of-life care outcomes, symptom management, and quality of life across all age groups. Geographic scope is limited to the United States. Priority is given to research teams with multidisciplinary expertise and formal partnerships with consortium members or affiliates.
Key dates
- Sep 29, 2025 Applications open
- Jun 5, 2026 Application deadline in 4 days
- Apr 1, 2027 Award announced
- Apr 1, 2027 Project start
This grant is for research institutions, academic medical centers, and organizations seeking to conduct palliative care research across the lifespan in partnership with the Palliative Care Consortium. Applicants typically must be 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations, universities, medical schools, or other eligible research institutions with demonstrated capacity to conduct clinical research. The program supports research activities focused on improving palliative and end-of-life care outcomes, symptom management, and quality of life across all age groups. Geographic scope is limited to the United States. Priority is given to research teams with multidisciplinary expertise and formal partnerships with consortium members or affiliates.
Program description
The National Institute on Aging (NIA), with other members of the NIH Palliative Care Research Working Group, intends to publish a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to invite applications proposing research on palliative care across the lifespan for persons with serious illnesses and/or their caregivers relevant to the missions of participating NIH Institutes, Centers, and Offices (ICOs), including projects focused on characterizing or mitigating disparities in palliative care access, quality, and use. Applications may propose palliative care efficacy, effectiveness, and/or implementation and dissemination clinical trials in alignment with the NIH Stage Model. Applications may also propose non-clinical trial palliative care research, such as health services research, natural experiments, health or behavioral economics, or observational studies. Awardees will become members of the research community facilitated by the NIH-funded Consortium for Palliative Care Research Across the Lifespan. Applications are not being solicited at this time. Notice is being provided to allow potential applicants sufficient time to develop meaningful collaborations and responsive projects.
Who can apply
Eligible applicants
- 501(c)(3) Public Charity
- City / Municipal Government
- County Government
- Hospital
- Nonprofits
- Private University
- Public Authority
- Public K-12 School
- Public University
- Small Business (SBA-defined)
- Special District
- State Government
- Tribal Nation
- Tribal Organization
Demographic focus
Details
This grant is for research institutions, academic medical centers, and organizations seeking to conduct palliative care research across the lifespan in partnership with the Palliative Care Consortium. Applicants typically must be 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations, universities, medical schools, or other eligible research institutions with demonstrated capacity to conduct clinical research. The program supports research activities focused on improving palliative and end-of-life care outcomes, symptom management, and quality of life across all age groups. Geographic scope is limited to the United States. Priority is given to research teams with multidisciplinary expertise and formal partnerships with consortium members or affiliates.
How to apply
Application links
Key dates & requirements
Required documents
- SF-424 (R&R) application form
- Project narrative/research plan (typically 12–15 pages)
- Budget and budget justification
- Biographical sketches of key personnel (NIH format)
- Letters of support or commitment from consortium partners or collaborating institutions
- Institutional support letter or commitment from your organization's authorized official
- References and bibliography
- Data management and sharing plan
- Human subjects protection documentation (if applicable) or vertebrate animal care assurances
- Facilities and resources description
- Conflict of interest disclosures
Program contact
- 👤 NIA Palliative Care Research
- 📧 NIAPalliativeCareResearch@nih.gov
- 📞 Please contact via e-mail.
Funding track record
Recent awards under CFDA 93.866 from the last 3 years — real organizations that won funding through this same program.
Top 10 Largest Recent Awards
-
$463,372,200
-
$172,327,224
-
$115,145,694
-
$99,649,073
-
$93,275,174
-
$78,657,309
-
$75,825,492
-
$75,398,895
-
$70,985,470
-
$64,812,576
Top States by Funding
- MI 2 awards $511.9M
- CA 8 awards $511.1M
- MO 8 awards $437.0M
- IN 4 awards $303.9M
- PA 6 awards $298.0M
Source: USAspending.gov — federal spending transparency. Data covers last 3 years.
Funding history
Annual funding for this program — Federal obligations (CFDA 93.866). How funding has trended year over year.
| 2024 | $3,746,886,731 | |
| 2025 | $3,777,464,644 | |
| 2026 est. | $261,814,471 |
FAQ
Who is eligible to apply for this grant?
Eligible applicants typically include nonprofit research institutions, academic medical centers, universities, and federally recognized tribal entities. For-profit organizations may be eligible under certain conditions. Contact the NIH program officer to confirm your organization's eligibility status.
What types of research does this program support?
This program supports research on palliative care delivery, outcomes, symptom management, communication, access to services, and quality of life across the lifespan—from pediatric through geriatric populations.
Will my small organization be competitive?
Competitiveness depends on research quality, team expertise, consortium partnerships, and preliminary data. Smaller organizations can be competitive if they demonstrate strong scientific merit and collaboration with established research partners.
What is the typical funding range?
NIH research grants typically range from $250,000 to $2+ million depending on the mechanism, project scope, and duration. Consult the FOA for specific budget limitations and funding expectations.
When are application deadlines?
Check the NIH GRANTS.GOV website and the specific Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) for exact deadline dates, which may have multiple submission windows per year.
💡 Tips for applicants
- Build strong partnerships with established Palliative Care Consortium members or affiliates early; consortium collaboration is likely a key selection criterion.
- Demonstrate preliminary data and feasibility; reviewers expect evidence that your research team can execute the proposed work and has relevant prior publications.
- Clearly articulate the lifespan focus; show how your research addresses palliative care across multiple age groups or explains why a specific age range is the focus.
- Use the NIH FORMS-I application format (SF-424 R&R) and ensure budget justifications align with research scope; budget and narrative narrative must be internally consistent.
- Engage the program officer early via email or phone to clarify program priorities, confirm your research fit, and understand reviewer expectations before investing significant effort in the application.
⚠️ Common mistakes
Many applications are rejected because they lack evidence of consortium engagement or partnership—this program specifically leverages the Palliative Care Consortium, and applicants who don't clearly demonstrate collaboration are at a disadvantage. Weak preliminary data or lack of published evidence of the team's capacity to conduct the proposed research is another common reason for rejection. Additionally, overly narrow or age-specific research scopes that don't adequately justify exclusion of other lifespan populations can be flagged as misaligned with the program's "across the lifespan" focus.
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