RFAs: Implementation of Findings from Research Investments (US)

The goal of this PFA is to move evidence emerging from PCORI research funding initiatives, and findings from other selected PCORI-identified studies, toward practical use in improving health care and health outcomes. This PFA is an opportunity for applicants to propose implementation projects that move evidence toward practical use in improving health care and health outcomes. This is an Open Competition funding opportunity that seeks to draw on the expertise, creativity, and capacity of a broad applicant pool, including those with experience implementing changes in practice and diverse stakeholder partners.

This PCORI Funding Announcement (PFA) intends to support implementation projects that promote the uptake of peer-reviewed findings from specific high-priority PCORI initiatives in the context of the body of related evidence.

Focus Areas

• Intensive Lifestyle Treatment for Weight Loss in Primary Care Settings: Over the past 20 years, obesity prevalence in U.S. adults ages 20 and older has increased from about 30 percent to more than 40 percent. Through a targeted funding initiative, PCORI committed funding to support pragmatic clinical trials to evaluate obesity treatment options in primary care for underserved populations.
• Therapies and Medicines to Reduce or Eliminate Symptoms for People with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): PTSD affects about 6 percent of US adults. It is more common in certain groups, including women, younger people, and those who did not complete high school or who have lower incomes. Findings from a recent systematic review update, which support the strength of evidence for specific treatment approaches for PTSD, underscore the potential for improving patient-centered outcomes through the implementation of effective treatment.
• Appropriate Antibiotic Prescribing for Children with Acute Respiratory Tract Infections (ARTIs): Inappropriate antibiotic prescribing contributes to the growing problem of antimicrobial -resistance, leading to 1.27 million deaths globally in 2019 and 2.8 million antimicrobial-resistant infections in the United States every year. Current guidelines generally recommend the use of narrow-spectrum antibiotics such as amoxicillin as first-line treatment for ARTIs in children, subject to local conditions with respect to antibiotic resistance.
• Addressing Uncontrolled Hypertension in Adults: Hypertension is one of the leading risk factors for cardiovascular disease and premature morbidity in the U.S., affecting nearly half of U.S. adults. A PCORI-funded CER study found that both tele-health and clinic-based models of team-based hypertension care lowered blood pressure, with no clinically important or statistically significant blood pressure difference between groups.

Funding Information

• Funds Available up to approximately: $8 million
• Maximum Project Budget: up to $2.5 million in direct costs
• Maximum Project Period: up to 4 years.

Eligibility Criteria

• This is an Open Competition funding opportunity that seeks to draw on the expertise, creativity, and capacity of a broad applicant pool, including implementation experts and diverse stakeholder partners. As such, PCORI does not require applicants to have been associated with the PCORI funded studies described earlier, nor does PCORI require them to have received any previous PCORI funding.
• Applications may be submitted by nonprofit and for-profit organizations. US-based applicants must have a Federal Employer Identification Number as assigned by the Internal Revenue Service. Applicants must demonstrate the capability to comply with the terms of the standard agreement associated with each PFA. Potential applicants are strongly encouraged to review the standard agreement before they apply. Standard agreements are available with each PFA through the PCORI Funding Center.
• Foreign organizations and non-domestic 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

• Following are the merit review criteria for this PFA:
  • Importance of Research Results
  • Site Readiness for Implementation
  • Technical merit of the Proposed Implementation Project
  • Stakeholder Engagement
  • Evaluation Plan
  • Project Personnel.

For more information, visit PCORI.