PCORI: Broad Pragmatic Studies Project (US)

Focus Areas

• PCORI has identified two Special Areas of Emphasis (SAEs) to fund innovative, high-impact research that fit clearly within its core mission of patient-engaged and patient-centered CER:
  • Social Isolation and Loneliness in Older Adults: Addressing high rates of social isolation and loneliness has been identified as a public health priority in the United States. Examples of responsive projects could include, but are not limited to, the following:
    • Comparison of strategies to address social isolation and/or loneliness, including social support, psychotherapy, exercise, technology (e.g., training on use of the internet/social media), support groups or group activities, and healthcare system-level interventions (e.g., home visits)
    • Comparison of interventions that target specific risk factors for social isolation and loneliness (e.g., sensory loss, cognitive decline)
    • Comparison of validated and evidence-based tools for screening for social isolation and loneliness in clinical settings
    • Comparison of established interventions that target other physical or mental health conditions in older adults that could be leveraged to address social isolation (e.g., Meals on Wheels, in-home oxygen therapy programs)
  • Health Communication Strategies for Uptake of COVID-19 Vaccine: The COVID-19 pandemic highlights the pivotal role of health communication in managing public health crises. Research must include COVID-19 vaccine uptake as the primary outcome and may also include uptake of other recommended vaccines. Additional outcomes of interest include vaccine confidence, vaccine knowledge and vaccine-related shared decision-making. Health communication interventions can be multimodal and multilevel. Comparisons of interest may include but are not limited to the following:
    • Delivery methods (e.g., telehealth, mobile, in-home versus clinic) and/or delivery messengers (e.g., clinician, family member, community member, employer) for health communications to improve vaccine uptake
    • Decision aids or preclinic visit preparation tools that utilize different formats, content, and/or messengers to improve vaccine uptake
    • Tailored communication strategies to overcome vaccine barriers.

Priorities

• Increase Evidence for Existing Interventions and Emerging Innovations in Health: Strengthen and expand ongoing CER focused on both existing interventions and emerging innovations to improve healthcare practice, health outcomes, and health equity.
• Accelerate Progress Toward an Integrated Learning Health System: Foster actionable, timely, place-based, and transformative improvements in patient-centered experiences, care provision, and improved health outcomes through collaborative, multi-sectoral research to support a health system that understands and serves the needs and preferences of individuals.
• Achieve Health Equity: Expand stakeholder engagement, research, and dissemination approaches that lead to continued progress toward achieving health equity in the United States.
• Advance the Science of Dissemination, Implementation, and Health Communication: Advance the scientific evidence for and the practice of dissemination, implementation, and health communication to accelerate the effective sharing of CER results for public understanding and uptake into practice.

Funding Information

• Funds available up to approximately: Through this funding opportunity, PCORI intends to commit up to $160 million
• Maximum Project Budget:
  • Category 1: Less than or equal to $5 million in direct costs
  • Category 2: Greater than $5 million; up to $12 million in direct costs
  • Category 3: PCORnet Studies up to $12 million in direct costs
• Maximum Research Project Period: up to five years for all categories.

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. healthcare system and must show that the engagement plans include U.S. patients and stakeholders and are relevant to the U.S. healthcare system.

Ineligibility Criteria

• Individuals are not permitted to apply.

Review Criteria

• Potential for the study to fill critical gaps in evidence
• Potential for the study findings to be adopted into clinical practice and improve delivery of care
• Scientific merit (research design, analysis, and outcomes)
• Investigator(s) and environment
• Patient-centeredness
• Patient and stakeholder engagement.

For more information, visit PCORI.