Decisions about treatment and options for care at the end stage of an advanced chronic illness are important determinants of the quality of a person's death and of how family members adapt in bereavement. This article describes the steps taken to secure federal funding to study how people make the decision to enroll in hospice. The National Institute on Aging Training Institute underscored four key principles of a fundable proposal: (a) collaborative research partnerships with community agencies; (b) pilot funding and data; (c) interdisciplinary collaboration; and (d) a match between the federal agency and program announcement. The proposal was funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act's Challenge Grant Program through the National Institute for Nursing Research. The study aims were to (a) explore the factors that contribute to the decision to enter hospice or decline; (b) compare decision making in older cancer patients who were enrolled in hospice with those who declined; (c) determine how decision making varies by type of cancer; and (d) explore family caregivers' roles in decision making. The study results identify psychosocial factors that influence decision making that suggest a number of possible next steps for future investigation. Shared decision making about care during the end stage of a serious illness has significant potential to improve the quality of the dying process and to help families cope in bereavement. Future research offers the potential for greater understanding of the complexities of communication, decision making, and care at the end of life.