Key Dates

Related Announcements

RFA-HS-22-010 - AHRQ National Research Service Award (NRSA) Institutional Research Training Grant (T32)

Issued by

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)

Purpose

Background

AHRQ recognizes that childcare costs impact graduate students and post-doctorates funded through the National Research Service Award (NRSA) program, and their ability to successfully complete their training and fully participate in the research workforce. As part of our ongoing efforts to support family-friendly work environments for the NRSA-supported workforce, effective October 1, 2021, AHRQ will begin providing an allowance for childcare costs for each full-time predoctoral or postdoctoral NRSA trainee appointment slot on an AHRQ T32 institutional training program grant at the time a new, renewal, or continuation award is made.

AHRQ will not revise or issue supplements to T32 awards issued prior to October 1, 2021, to include the childcare cost allowance.

Applicability

The NRSA childcare costs allowance will apply to each full-time predoctoral or postdoctoral AHRQ-NRSA-supported institutional research training award appointment. Each full-time predoctoral or postdoctoral AHRQ-NRSA appointed trainee is eligible to receive $2,500 per budget period for childcare costs provided by a licensed childcare provider. For households where both parents are eligible for full-time predoctoral or postdoctoral AHRQ-NRSA trainees, each parent is eligible to receive $2,500 via the NRSA award to which they are appointed. The childcare allowance amount is not determined by the number of children.

Childcare costs are allowed for dependent children living in the eligible full-time predoctoral or postdoctoral NRSA trainee’s home from birth up to the age of 13 years, or, for children who are disabled [i], up to age 18 years. Childcare costs do not apply to elder or non-child dependent care costs.

Policy

AHRQ will provide an annual childcare costs allowance of $2,500 for each full-time predoctoral or postdoctoral AHRQ NRSA trainee appointment slot beginning with T32 awards issued in FY2022. For childcare costs to be considered allowable, eligible full-time predoctoral or postdoctoral NRSA trainees must be appointed to the AHRQ NRSA institutional research training award prior to use of the childcare costs.

The NRSA childcare costs are not tied to payback obligations, nor should it be reported as such.

Childcare must be provided by a licensed childcare provider. Recipients must maintain all supporting documentation (e.g., proof provider is licensed) and make it available to AHRQ officials upon request. AHRQ does not require recipients to submit this supporting documentation except when specifically requested.

When the childcare cost allowance is awarded, the funds will be restricted to be used for that purpose only and at a maximum level of $2,500 per eligible full-time predoctoral or postdoctoral NRSA trainee. Unused funds must be reported as an unobligated balance on the Federal Financial Report (FFR). AHRQ will utilize unused funds as an offset to a future year award or will recover the funds as a part of the closeout process, as appropriate.

Application Instructions

New and continuing applications

Childcare costs will be provided on a per-trainee basis, not to exceed the total number of full-time predoctoral and postdoctoral trainee slots awarded, unless otherwise specified on the notice of award. No additional action is needed on the part of the applicant at the time of application to request these funds.

Reporting for Continuation Applications

Following the issuance of an award that includes childcare costs, when a subsequent RPPR is prepared, recipients must upload a PDF named Childcare_Costs.pdf (without quotation marks) in Section G.1 of the RPPR. The attachment must specify the number of trainees who used childcare costs in the reporting period. System enhancements are forthcoming that will incorporate reporting via xTrain. Additional information and implementation guidance will be issued.

Inquiries

Please direct all inquiries to:

For Extramural Program Policy Questions:
Email: Grant_Queries@ahrq.hhs.gov

For Grants Management Budgetary and Policy Questions:
AHRQ Grants Management Inbox
Division of Grants Management
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, HHS
Email: GrantsManagementInbox@ahrq.hhs.gov