PCORI: Advancing the Science of Engagement in Research (US)

Deadline: 14 January 2025

The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute is seeking applications for its funding opportunity for advancing the science of engagement in research to fund studies that build an evidence base on engagement in research.

The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute for Advancing the Science of Engagement aims to fund studies that address high-priority gaps in the science of engagement in research focused on development and/or assessment of validity of measures and the evaluation of engagement methods. For measurement proposals, PCORI will give preference to projects that rapidly develop and/or assess the validity of measures of engagement.

Objectives

This funding announcement focuses on the following:
- Rapid development and/or assessment of validity of measures to capture structure and context, process, and outcomes of engagement in research, both for stakeholders and investigators
- Development and/or testing of engagement methods to generate evidence on the most effective approaches for engagement in research, particularly for underrepresented populations, and how effectiveness varies by context.

Priority Areas

Measuring Engagement in Research (Category 1): The first priority and goal of this funding opportunity is to develop reliable and valid measures that enable future comparative effectiveness research of engagement methods. The following topics are priorities for Cycle 1:
- Structure/Context: Measures that assess key contextual factors that may influence the conduct of engagement and/or the outcomes of engagement.
- Process: Measures that assess aspects of how engagement is planned, conducted, or sustained.
- Outcomes: Measures that assess the outcomes that result from engagement in research.
Developing and Testing Engagement Methods in Research (Category 2): The second priority of this funding opportunity is to support research projects that evaluate the impact of various engagement methods on key processes and outcomes of engagement and research. The following are specific priorities for Cycle 1:
- Which engagement methods work in what settings, especially for ensuring diversity, equity, and inclusion among engaged stakeholders and research project participants, and how do they do so?
- Which engagement methods result in high-quality engagement, especially for historically underrepresented populations?
- How do engagement methods need to be adapted to be effective for different stakeholder and patient populations, especially those that have historically been excluded or underrepresented in research projects and research partnerships?
- Which engagement methods achieve the goals of making research more patient-centered, timely, relevant to patient concerns, culturally sensitive, and trustworthy, or other outcomes or constructs if well justified, and how do they achieve these goals?

Funding Information

Funds Available up to approximately: $36 million.
Maximum Project Budget:
- Category 1: Development and/or assessment of validity of measures to capture structure/context, process, and outcomes of engagement in research: Less than or equal to $1 million in direct costs.
- Category 2: Development and/or testing of engagement methods to generate evidence on the most effective approaches for engagement in research, particularly for underrepresented populations, and how effectiveness varies by context: Less than or equal to $1.5 million in direct costs.
Maximum Research Project Period:
- Category 1: 2 years
- Category 2: 3 years

Eligibility Criteria

In general, applications for the conduct of research and management of funding may be submitted by appropriate academic research, private sector research, or study-conducting entities. This may include, among others, agencies and instrumentalities of the federal government, nonprofit and for-profit research organizations, and colleges and universities.
Foreign organizations and nondomestic components of U.S. organizations must provide a thorough and thoughtful justification for the research’s ability to benefit the U.S. health care system and must show that the engagement plans include U.S. patients and stakeholders and are relevant to the U.S. health care system.

Ineligibility Criteria