PA-24-093: Systems-Based Approaches to Improve Patient Safety by Improving Healthcare Worker Safety and Well-Being

NOTE: This funding opportunity expired March 17, 2026. Limited case-by-case submissions may be accepted; contact the eRA Service Desk.

Research Focus

This AHRQ R01 grant supports research on system-level interventions designed to improve patient safety by addressing healthcare worker safety and well-being. The program recognizes that healthcare worker burnout, moral distress, moral injury, and poor well-being—driven by factors including excessive workload, poorly designed workflows, lack of psychological safety, inadequate staffing, and structural barriers—directly compromise patient safety and care quality. Applicants must test evidence-based strategies that modify healthcare delivery systems (ambulatory, emergency, inpatient, post-acute, long-term care, mental health settings) to reduce these threats and support healthcare worker resilience. Research should employ a resilience engineering perspective, ensuring "as many things as possible go right" for both workers and patients. Applications must include an operational definition of healthcare worker safety or well-being and must involve licensed healthcare professionals (physicians, nurses, pharmacists, social workers, therapists) as PIs, Co-PIs, or Key Personnel in development and implementation activities.

At a Glance

• Who can apply: Eligible organizations with licensed healthcare professionals as PIs or Key Personnel; clinical trial optional
• Funding & duration: Not stated; standard R01 mechanisms apply
• Award type: R01 Research Project Grant (clinical trial optional)
• Key dates: LOI due 30 days before application; first standard due date February 5, 2024 (now expired); earliest start ~4 months after peer review
• Best fit for: Health services researchers, implementation scientists, and clinician-researchers studying burnout, moral injury, workflow redesign, and system-level patient safety interventions across healthcare settings