Innovation RFA
Annual Request for Application (RFA) – Innovation Projects
The mission of the Duke Institute for Health Innovation (DIHI) is to catalyze transformative innovations in health and healthcare, and to help cultivate a community of innovation and entrepreneurship across Duke University and the health enterprise. Our annual request for innovation applications is open to all faculty, staff, students, and trainees across Duke University and Duke University Health System.
At DIHI, we look for innovative but practical ways in which we can have measurable impact on the health and wellness of our patients and our people. At the same time, we are committed to fostering an ecosystem that is conducive to the creation, development, integration and scaling of novel ideas through transformative partnerships and strong collaboration. In the end, innovation is very much a team science.
Our Current DIHI RFA Timeline
We are excited to announce the 2026 Duke Institute for Health Innovation (DIHI) RFA for selecting and implementing innovative solutions in our clinical enterprise. The proposals should provide impactful solutions to significant issues encountered by care providers, patients and their loved ones and represent urgent health challenges nationally.
For the 2026 funding cycle, priority will be given to ideas aligned with the thematic area of harnessing the power of AI to proactively solve critical healthcare challenges, improving operational efficiency and transforming patient care.
Proposals submission closed November 7, 2025.
All proposals are required to have a DUHS operational lead as a co-sponsor to be accepted for review. We look forward to your innovative solutions.
Up to ten applications will be selected for support. Most proposals are expected to request funding in the range of $25,000 to $60,000 over a one-year period. For reference, this funding does not cover faculty time.
Question? Please email DIHIrfa@duke.edu
| DIHI 2026 RFA Timeline | ||
|---|---|---|
| Oct 6, 2025 | DIHI RFA open for submission | |
| Nov 7, 2025 11:59 PM | Application due date | |
| Feb 2026 | Finalists – Presentation to leadership | |
| Apr 2027 | Funding start | |
| Nov 2026 | Midpoint reporting | |
If you have any questions or would like to discuss your innovation with us, please join our RFA office hours Wednesdays at 2:30 – 3:00 PM and Thursdays at 1:30 – 2:30 PM.
DIHI RFA 2026 RFA
The Duke Institute for Health Innovation (DIHI) closed the emerging ideas and innovation funding cycle. Applications were open to address actual, important problems encountered by care providers, patients and their loved ones in our clinical enterprise, and to represent urgent national health challenges.
For the 2026 funding cycle, priority was given to ideas aligned with the thematic area of harnessing the power of AI to proactively solve critical healthcare challenges, improving operational efficiency and transforming patient care.
Enhancing C.L.R. Medication Reconciliation: Leveraging AI to Standardize and Optimize Med Safety
Check, locate, and review.
Optimizing Pediatric Psychiatry Handoffs: Integrating AI into Clinical Practice
Making handoffs more complete and accurate.
Utilizing Technology To Improve Efficiency in the Care of Transplant Candidates and Recipients
Increasing capacity for new evaluations/ transplants.
Our commitment to innovation at Duke Health remains strong, as evidenced by the strong slate of projects brought forward by our clinical teams at the forefront of patient care. The winning teams, selected from a highly competitive pool of applications will have significant impact on automating processes, helping us realize greater efficiencies while bringing the highest-quality care to our patients.
DIHI RFA 2025 RFA
For the 2025 funding cycle, priority was given to ideas aligned with the thematic area of improving provider and staff experience, patient journey, and clinical outcomes using advanced technology solutions.
Improving Surgical Consult Efficiency and Emergency Department Flow
Generating effective consults
DIHI RFA 2024 RFA
For the 2024 funding cycle, priority was given to ideas in Generative AI & Large Language Models: AI solutions to improve staff and clinician efficiency, patient journey and outcomes.
Automating Oncology Patient Access and Elevating the Patient Experience
Identifying specialty and clinical urgency for patient appointments.
Automating Patient Connection for Health-Related Social Needs
Addressing food insecurity and other social needs.
Clinical Education Dashboards using LLMs to Improve Education at Duke
Summarizing educational experiences for trainees.
Matching Transplant Donors to Recipients using Generative AI/LLM
Helping match transplant kidneys.
Using AI for Surgery Pre-Authorization
Identifying and outlining documentation for surgery pre-authorizations.
Using AI to Reduce the Burden of Prior Authorizations
Assisting prior authorization requests for a prototypical medication.
Our commitment to innovation at Duke Health remains strong, as evidenced by the strong slate of projects brought forward by our clinical teams at the forefront of patient care. The winning teams, selected from a highly competitive pool of applications will have significant impact on automating processes, helping us realize greater efficiencies while bringing the highest-quality care to our patients.
DIHI RFA 2023 Projects
Automating CMS Quality Measure Curation
Optimize the process and enhance the efficiency of quality measure reporting to removes unnecessary burden from clinical staff.
Automating Behavioral Health Evaluation in Primary Care
Automating follow up to a positive BH screen in 6-11 year old patients within primary care by distributing, collecting and scoring ADHD, Depression and Anxiety questionnaires directly within the EHR.
Using Machine Learning to Appropriately Triage Patients with Low Back Pain (LBP)
Develop and validate a machine learning algorithm capable of predicting patient need for spinal surgery or non-operative management utilizing elements from the electronic health record.
Automated Post-Hospitalization Track for Patients Discharged on Outpatient Parenteral Antimicrobial Therapy (OPAT)
Implement a real-time OPAT patient dashboard to facilitate earlier hospital discharge and automate the process of early post-discharge follow-up.
EASY Telehealth Care: Optimizing telehealth in rheumatology
Enable rheumatology providers to identify patients who could be seen by telehealth rather than in-person at their next follow-up appointment.
Machine Learning for Interpreting PFTs: Improving operational efficiency of pulmonary medicine
Automating PFT interpretation
Automated Patient Care Assignment: Accelerating every-day operational efficiency
Optimize patient placement and individual team member assignment
DIHI RFA 2022 Projects
Enhanced Decision Support for Periop Care
Challenges related to hospital access, staffing constraints, and patient-related factors require a refined risk prediction model to enable risk-mitigation strategies earlier in the process.
eProvider within the EHR
Developing a eProvider to act as a digital liaison for clinical care.
Patient Initiated Note about Goals (PING)
Optimize, implement, and evaluate the PING (Patient Initiated Note about Goals).
Predict Behavioral Emergencies in the Hospital
Identifying patients at risk of having behavioral emergencies can help to optimize care delivery.
Prescriptions for Repair: Address Gun Violence
The Prescriptions for Repair project will help us to understand and learn from the experiences of gun violence victims.