Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute announces $120M in grants

DENVER – The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) on Tuesday released its first primary research funding announcements, totaling $120 million to support comparative clinical effectiveness research.

PCORI officials said the organization will award the money this year for innovative projects that effectively incorporate patients and stakeholders in research teams and address the areas of focus of PCORI’s National Priorities for Research and Research Agenda.

PCORI previously announced the approval of 50 Pilot Project Program awards, totaling $30 million over two years, to researchers in 24 states and the District of Columbia.

 [See also: Premier comparative effectiveness program seeking applicants.]

“Today marks a major milestone in our work as we build a portfolio of patient-centered research that will provide patients and those who care for them better information about healthcare decisions they face,” said PCORI Executive Director Joe Selby, MD. “Our funding announcements reflect PCORI’s commitment to a patient-centered research agenda, emphasizing the inclusion of patients and caregivers at all stages of the research.”

The PCORI Funding Announcements (PFAs) make clear that successful applicants must have research teams with patients, caregivers, and practicing clinicians actively engaged throughout the process, from generating research questions to conducting research and using the results to understand and address patient needs. This requirement helps ensure that the research remains true to the interests of the patient populations that will be affected by it, PCORI officials said.

Applications will be evaluated for alignment with eight PCORI review criteria that arise from PCORI’s authorizing legislation. These include:

Impact or burden of the condition(s) being studied; Innovativeness of the research proposal and its potential to impact care practices and improve outcomes; Inclusiveness of different populations; Patient-centeredness of the research question, choices of outcomes, and strategies for inclusion of patients and stakeholders in the research; Potential for the research to improve the efficiency of healthcare, use of rigorous study design and analytic methods; Composition and experience of the research team; andEfficient use of research resources. 

PCORI is an independent, non-profit organization created by Congress in 2010. Its mission is to fund research that will provide patients, their caregivers and clinicians with the evidence-based information needed to make better-informed healthcare decisions.

PCORI grant application materials can be found here.