PCORI seeks proposals for new studies and projects through seven funding opportunities

The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) today began accepting proposals for new studies and implementation projects through seven funding opportunities. These PCORI Funding Announcements (PFAs) include a call for comparative clinical effectiveness research (CER) studies to improve postpartum outcomes among underserved populations and another call for studies to compare health system strategies to improve hypertension management and outcomes for populations experiencing disparities.

A third PFA includes a call for CER studies within four broad priority areas: addressing disparities; assessment of prevention, diagnosis and treatment options; communication and dissemination research; and improving health care systems. The remaining funding announcements seek proposals for projects to implement results of PCORI-funded research and to improve methods of patient-centered CER.

PCORI is proud to offer these latest opportunities to fund vital comparative clinical effectiveness research and related projects. The evidence generated by PCORI-funded CER is so important in helping patients, their clinicians and caregivers understand their care options. It is also essential in helping to generate evidence and identify strategies that reduce and eliminate persistent health disparities that adversely affect so many populations in the United States."

Nakela L. Cook, M.D., M.P.H., PCORI Executive Director

The Improving Postpartum Maternal Outcomes for Populations Experiencing Disparities PFA seeks proposals for large randomized controlled trials (RCTs) or robust observational studies lasting up to five years and provides up to $5 million or $15 million in direct costs per study. Research funded through this PFA will compare multicomponent strategies to improve early detection of and timely care for complications up to six weeks after birth for groups more often underserved or experiencing the greatest disparities in health outcomes, including Black, American Indian/Alaska Native, Hispanic, rural, and low socioeconomic status populations. PCORI offers up to $50 million through this PFA.

The Health System Strategies to Address Disparities in Hypertension Management and Control PFA seeks proposals for large RCTs lasting up to five years and provides up to $15 million in direct costs per study. Research will focus on comparing health system strategies-;for example, practice facilitation, team-based care, health coaching and home-based blood pressure monitoring-;to improve hypertension control and health outcomes for populations experiencing disparities in outcomes, such as Black and Hispanic individuals and those who are un- or underinsured or living in rural areas. PCORI is particularly interested in multisite cluster RCTs in community, primary care or safety net settings. PCORI offers up to $50 million through this PFA.

The Broad Pragmatic Studies PFA seeks proposals for CER studies lasting up to five years with up to $5 million or up to $10 million in direct costs per study. PCORI encourages submissions in all areas and notes the following special areas of emphasis: addressing racism, discrimination and bias in health care systems and care delivery; aspirin to prevent preeclampsia; optimizing prevention and treatment of postpartum hemorrhage; and caregiver-delivered interventions for intellectual and developmental disabilities. PCORI offers up to $162 million through this PFA.

Three other PFAs seek proposals for projects to implement results of PCORI-funded research and advance approaches to effective shared decision making in practice settings. These PFAs aim to promote the uptake of useful PCORI-funded research findings that have been shown to improve outcomes. They reflect PCORI's commitment to ensuring that findings are easily accessible and useful to those who need them to make informed decisions about care.

One additional PFA providing up to $12 million seeks proposals for studies on improving methods to conduct patient-centered CER to enhance the scientific rigor of research.

The topics of these latest funding opportunities were identified with extensive input from patients and stakeholders about high-impact, high-burden conditions. Advancing PCORI's ambitious three-year, $1.8 billion funding commitment plan, these opportunities follow eight others that PCORI opened earlier this year offering up to $297.5 million in funding for research and related projects.

PCORI will open additional funding opportunities later this year, including a PFA that will open in September to support large, multiphase CER studies designed to fill critical gaps in evidence.

Details of PCORI's funding opportunities can be found on PCORI's website. To date, PCORI has invested $3.4 billion to fund patient-centered CER and related projects, including those focused on implementing useful findings from PCORI-funded research and on supporting engagement of people in research projects.