Notice: HHS Intent To Publish Grant and Contract Solicitations for 
Comparative Effectiveness Research (CER) Projects With Funds Allocated 
to the Office of the Secretary From the American Recovery and 
Reinvestment Act (ARRA)

Federal Register: January 7, 2010 (Volume 75, Number 4)       
                  Page 990-991

AGENCY: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), HHS.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

SUMMARY: The Department of Health and Human Services announces its 
intention to support new CER projects with funds allocated by the 
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). The ARRA appropriated 
$400 million to the Office of the Secretary for support of CER. AHRQ 
has been designated point of contact for management of these funds.
    Prioritization of the OS ARRA CER allocation was determined by 
several factors: public input, the Comparative Effectiveness Research-
Coordination Implementation Team, the Federal Coordinating Council for 
Comparative Effectiveness Research (FCC), and the Institute of Medicine 
Report on CER. OS ARRA CER projects will focus, initially, on either 
(1) one of the 14 priority conditions established by the Secretary of 
the Department of Health and Human Services under Section 1013 of the 
Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003, 
(2) 100 Institute of Medicine topic recommendations, or (3) topics that 
fall into one of the AHRQ identified evidence gaps or are identified in 
the FCC report. An additional integral focus for these OS ARRA CER 
funds are the priority populations, which include low income groups; 
minority groups; women; children; the elderly; and individuals with 
special health care needs, including individuals with disabilities and 
individuals who need chronic care or end-of-life health care. The CER 
solicitations will come from a diverse set of divisions and agencies 
across the Department of Health and Human Services.

DATES: HHS anticipates grant and contract solicitations to be published 
over the next several months.

ADDRESSES: The future CER funding opportunity announcements will be 
published in the NIH Guide: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/
index.html and on Grants.gov.: http://www.grants.gov/. Contract 
solicitations can be found on the Federal Business Opportunity site at 
https://www.fbo.gov/index?cck=1&au=&ck=.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Until the solicitations are published, 
AHRQ cannot provide information on their contents.
    Direct any general comments regarding the OS ARRA CER program to: 
Kathleen Kendrick, Deputy Director, Office of the Director, Agency for 
Healthcare Research and Quality, 540 Gaither Road, Rockville, MD 20850, 
Telephone: 301-427-1200, e-mail address: ARRA Support@AHRQ.HHS.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) provided $1.1 
billion for comparative effectiveness research (CER). The Act allocated 
$300 million to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), 
$400 million to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and $400 
million to the Office of the Secretary (OS) of the Department of Health 
and Human Services (HHS). These funds are dedicated specifically 
towards CER and must be obligated by the end of fiscal year 2010.

Comparative Effectiveness Research Initiative Description

    The Department of Health and Human Service's overall goal for the 
investment in comparative effectiveness research is to promote high 
quality care through broad availability of information that helps 
clinicians and patients match the best science to individual needs and 
preferences. Moreover, the investment can build a sustainable 
foundation for CER so that it will enable--now and in the future the 
United States healthcare system to deliver the highest quality and best 
value care to all Americans.
    Funding Opportunity Announcements soliciting grant applications and 
Requests for Contracts for CER will provide $210.5 million for data 
infrastructure and related research, $89.5 million for dissemination 
and translation, $71 million for research, $7.6 million for inventory 
and evaluation projects and $4 million for

[[Page 991]]

salary and benefits for ARRA-related staff and administrative support.
    An additional, $17.4 million will be allocated to projects that 
address any gaps within the new and existing CER programs.

    Dated: December 30, 2009.
Carolyn M. Clancy,
AHRQ, Director.
[FR Doc. E9-31340 Filed 1-6-10; 8:45 am]

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