Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute Issues Call for Applications to Fund Up to $12 Million in Projects to Improve Research Methods

PCORI Funding Announcement focuses on Accelerating Patient-Centered Outcomes Research and Methodological Research

WASHINGTON, Nov. 16, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) today released a funding announcement to support research that addresses methodological gaps in patient-centered outcomes research (PCOR).  

PCORI plans to award $12 million under this funding announcement for up to 14 contracts for studies that will address knowledge gaps and advance the field of comparative clinical effectiveness research.

"The nation's capacity to conduct patient-centered comparative effectiveness research quickly and efficiently remains extremely limited," said PCORI Executive Director Joe Selby, MD, MPH.  "Our goal is to improve this field of research by building data infrastructure, improving analytic methods, and training researchers, patients and other stakeholders to participate in the conduct of research."

This PCORI Funding Announcement (PFA) corresponds to PCORI's fifth priority area, "Accelerating Patient-Centered and Methodological Research," from its National Priorities for Research and Research Agenda.  It is the first of a number of funding announcements PCORI expects to issue in conjunction with this priority. Resulting studies will help to inform future iterations of PCORI Methodology Report and its standards.

"To improve the quality and effectiveness of care, we need evidence-based information that patients can trust and use," Selby said. "Developing strong, rigorous patient-centered research methods has the potential to transform our ability to provide patients and those who care for them with the information they need to answer the questions they have about the health and healthcare choices they face."

Application materials for this PFA can be downloaded from the "Funding Opportunities" section of PCORI's website. The online application system is now open; and letters of intent are due January 31, 2013. PCORI expects to announce research awards in the spring of 2013.

Successful applicants will demonstrate how their proposed improvement in research methods is relevant to patients and will support the development of evidence and improved health and healthcare decision making. In cases where patient and stakeholder engagement is appropriate, research proposals should clearly identify who will be selected to participate and justify the choice of selection.

About PCORI
The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) is an independent, non-profit organization authorized 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 health care decisions. PCORI is committed to continuously seeking input from a broad range of stakeholders to guide its work. More information is available at www.pcori.org.

SOURCE Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute