PCORI Selects 30 Individuals, Small Groups for First "Pipeline to Proposal" Awards

Tier I awards to provide funds to build communities around common health research interest

WASHINGTON, Dec. 23, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) has approved 30 projects under the pilot phase of its new "Pipeline to Proposal" awards program.

These Tier I awards, totaling $432,100 in requested funding, are the first to be made through this initiative, which provides seed money to encourage development of partnerships and health research project ideas among individuals and groups who want to take an active role in research but may not have opportunities to do so.

The Pipeline to Proposal awards are an early effort under PCORI's new Eugene Washington PCORI Engagement Awards program, which will encourage community engagement in patient- centered outcomes research (PCOR) by supporting projects to enhance knowledge of PCOR, training in partnership development and devising research proposals; and efforts to get research results adopted in clinical practice.

Those selected for the first 30 Tier I Pipeline to Proposal awards include patients, patient advocates, and healthcare providers as well as clinical researchers. They also include teams at community health clinics, budding online gathering spots, hospitals, and advocacy groups. The awards will provide these individuals and small groups seed funds of up to $15,000 each.

The 30 projects were selected by review panels made up of patients, stakeholders, and researchers. The proposed projects are approved subject to a programmatic and budget review by PCORI staff and the negotiation of a formal award contract.

The funds will help recipients build relationships with other individuals and groups interested in their health issue or topic of concern, create a strategy and tools to connect partner, and develop governance and guidance structures, such as advisory councils and strategic plans, for their budding communities. PCORI hopes these foundational steps will lead to communities identifying and refining a research topic suitable for investigation through a comparative effectiveness research study.

"This first round of Tier I Pipeline to Proposal awards will lay strong foundations to build communities interested in advancing the field of patient- and stakeholder-driven health research," said Anne Beal, MD, MPH, PCORI's Deputy Executive Director and Chief Officer for Engagement.

"Patients and other stakeholders have good ideas for healthcare questions that warrant study, and we want to help them develop partnerships and get involved in the research process," she said. "We're pleased with the range and quality of our initial Pipeline to Proposal awards, which will provide support to build patient and community coalitions that will address issues ranging from preventing Sudden Infant Death Syndrome to caring for patients with Alzheimer's in rural communities.  We look forward to following their progress over the next nine months."

The award recipients are located in 10 Western U.S. states. PCORI launched the awards as a pilot program in the western region to gain experience and feedback that will help it refine the program as it readies to expand it throughout the rest of the nation in early 2014.

PCORI has contracted with the nonprofit, Denver-based Colorado Foundation for Public Health and the Environment to serve as the Intermediate Funder for the pilot program. CFPHE will provide fiscal, programmatic, and operational services to the first group of Tier I awardees. PCORI plans to contract with additional Intermediate Funders as the program expands next year.

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 healthcare 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