UT2 Autism Intervention Research Network on Physical Health (AIR-P) | HRSA 20 054

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): UT2 Autism Intervention Research Network on Physical Health (AIR-P), HRSA-20-054

1) What is the UT2 Autism Intervention Research Network on Physical Health (AIR-P) opportunity?

AIR-P (HRSA-20-054) is a Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) cooperative agreement to create and sustain a national, interdisciplinary, multi-center research network focused on the physical health needs of children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder and other developmental disabilities (ASD/DD), including transition into adulthood and health across the lifespan.

2) What is the main purpose of AIR-P?

The main purpose is to fund one lead national network that acts as a hub for scientific collaboration, shared infrastructure, and coordinated research activities. The goal is to strengthen evidence about which physical health interventions work, for whom they work, and how they can be implemented consistently in real-world settings.

3) Is AIR-P focused on physical health or behavioral health?

AIR-P is explicitly focused on physical health and well-being, not behavioral health. Proposals centered on behavioral health interventions are described as not responsive to this opportunity.

4) What does HRSA mean by "physical health" in this program?

HRSA describes physical health broadly, including medical care as well as dental, vision, nutrition, and speech and hearing components.

5) If a project is mainly about behavioral health interventions, is it a fit for AIR-P?

No. HRSA indicates that proposals centered on behavioral health interventions are not responsive to AIR-P and points applicants to a separate competition for behavioral health (AIR-B, HRSA-20-055).

6) What populations is AIR-P intended to benefit?

The network is intended to improve physical health outcomes for children and adolescents with ASD/DD. It also emphasizes transition into adulthood and health across the lifespan, meaning the work is expected to consider longer-term health trajectories beyond childhood.

7) Does the opportunity include an equity or access focus?

Yes. AIR-P calls for special attention to underserved populations and communities with limited access to effective ASD/DD treatments.

8) What does it mean that AIR-P is a national leadership and coordination effort?

It means the funded network is expected to lead, promote, and coordinate research activities nationally. The scope is not limited to isolated studies; it includes setting a national agenda, aligning collaborators across sites, and supporting a portfolio of intervention research that produces generalizable findings and usable tools.

9) What kinds of research activities is the network expected to support?

The network is expected to support intervention research focused on improving physical health outcomes for individuals with ASD/DD, including rigorous multi-site studies and coordinated research activities that can be translated into policy and practice.

10) What are the expected major deliverables of AIR-P?

Key deliverables described include: creating and maintaining durable multi-site research infrastructure; determining evidence-based practices for physical health interventions; translating findings into practical clinical guidance; and helping disseminate evidence and guidelines nationally.

11) What is meant by "durable research infrastructure" in AIR-P?

HRSA emphasizes infrastructure that enables multi-site intervention studies, including an interdisciplinary platform that supports a coordinated research portfolio, rigorous multi-site study execution, and faster translation from research into policy and practice.

12) Does AIR-P require multi-site studies?

The opportunity emphasizes infrastructure for multi-site intervention studies and coordinated, multi-center research operations, implying that multi-site approaches are central to the program design.

13) How does AIR-P address translation from research to real-world practice?

The network is expected to accelerate translation by moving findings beyond publication toward clinical guidance, implementation strategies, and dissemination of evidence and guidelines.

14) Is dissemination part of the program expectations?

Yes. AIR-P is framed to help disseminate the resulting evidence and guidelines, with an emphasis on practical, research-informed clinical guidance that can be used nationally.

15) How is AIR-P connected to the Autism CARES Act of 2019?

AIR-P is framed within the Autism CARES Act of 2019, which authorizes and emphasizes building the evidence base and sharing research-informed practices nationally.

16) Does AIR-P include training and workforce development?

Yes. The network must provide an environment for mentoring and training the next generation of researchers in applied and translational autism research and practice, including clinical and non-clinical investigators, with attention to building a diverse pipeline.

17) What kinds of researchers does AIR-P aim to mentor and train?

The opportunity mentions both clinical and non-clinical investigators and emphasizes applied and translational autism research and practice.

18) Is the program expected to be interdisciplinary?

Yes. AIR-P is described as a national, interdisciplinary, multi-center research network.

19) What does the cooperative agreement mechanism imply for AIR-P?

As a cooperative agreement, AIR-P generally signals substantial federal involvement in shaping or supporting the project during the award period compared with a standard grant.

20) How many awards did HRSA anticipate making under this opportunity?

HRSA anticipated making one award.

21) What is the funding ceiling for the AIR-P award?

The award ceiling listed is $3,000,000.

22) When was the funding opportunity posted and what was the original closing date?

The funding opportunity was posted January 13, 2020, with an original closing date of April 13, 2020.

23) What is the CFDA number for this opportunity?

The CFDA number listed is 93.877.

24) What is the eligibility category for AIR-P?

Eligibility is categorized as "Others," with additional eligibility details referenced in the full announcement.

25) Are applicants expected to consider broader HHS and HRSA priorities?

Where applicable, AIR-P is expected to align with broader HHS and HRSA priorities, naming mental health, opioid use disorder, prescription drug pricing, maternal health, and telehealth.

26) If AIR-P is not behavioral health, why is "mental health" listed among broader priorities?

The opportunity notes that while AIR-P is not a behavioral health initiative, applicants are still asked to consider federal priorities where they intersect with physical health care access, service delivery, and systems-level implementation for individuals with ASD/DD and their families.

27) How might telehealth relate to AIR-P's physical health focus?

Telehealth is cited as a broader priority that may intersect with physical health care access and service delivery for individuals with ASD/DD and their families, such as telehealth-enabled care models.

28) What does AIR-P mean by identifying "what works, for whom, and how it can be implemented"?

This refers to building evidence not only about intervention effectiveness, but also about which populations benefit (for whom) and how to implement interventions consistently in real-world settings (implementation).

29) Does AIR-P expect a single organization to do all the research directly?

The opportunity is designed to fund one lead network as a national hub. The intent is coordinated, multi-center collaboration across sites rather than isolated work by a single site.

30) What is the overall summary of what AIR-P funds?

AIR-P funds a single national-level coordinating research network to: build and run a multi-site intervention research enterprise focused on ASD/DD physical health; identify and validate evidence-based physical health interventions; translate results into guidelines and disseminated resources; prioritize underserved populations; and train a diverse next generation of researchers to sustain progress over time.