Topical PCORI: Managing Pain (Cycle 1) 2025 – United States

Topics

• Applicants addressing one of the below SAEs should identify the area that is best associated with their research approach:
  • Urogynecological and pelvic pain: Urogynecological and pelvic conditions are some of the most common causes of acute and chronic pain for women and persons assigned female at birth. These conditions are often misdiagnosed or underdiagnosed, leading to untreated symptoms that can significantly reduce quality of life and contribute to health disparities. Additionally, these conditions often result in negative cognitive, behavioral, sexual and emotional consequences for patients. PCORI is interested in funding patient-, healthcare provider- and/or systems-level CER comparing strategies aimed to improve prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment and management of urogynecological and pelvic pain, including but not limited to urogynecological and pelvic pain experienced during pregnancy and postpartum. Populations of interest include women, adolescents and those assigned female at birth.
  • Pain in individuals living with limitations in cognitive functioning: Individuals living with limitations in cognitive functioning may express pain differently or experience greater difficulty in communicating pain. This can make it difficult for caregivers and clinicians to understand when pain is being expressed, potentially leading to underdiagnosed or misdiagnosed pain. PCORI is interested in funding patient-, healthcare provider- and/or systems-level CER comparing strategies aimed to improve prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment and management of pain among people living with limitations in cognitive functioning. Populations of interest include children and adults with limitations in cognitive functioning such as those living with intellectual and developmental disabilities and adults living with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.
  • Pain in individuals living with sickle cell disease: Sickle cell disease affects an estimated 100,000 people in the U.S., primarily individuals of African descent who identify as Black and individuals of Hispanic, Mediterranean, Middle Eastern and Indian ethnicities. This disease causes pain that starts in early childhood and worsens with age, leading to high rates of hospitalizations and emergency room visits and an increased mortality rate. People living with sickle cell disease often face unique barriers to care such as under-treatment of pain and longer wait times in receiving pain medication. PCORI is interested in funding patient-, healthcare provider- and/or systems-level CER comparing strategies aimed to improve screening, diagnosis, treatment and management of acute and chronic pain associated with sickle cell disease among children and adults.
  • Neuropathic pain: Neuropathic pain is widely underdiagnosed and undertreated resulting in significant negative impacts on patients’ quality of life and social and psychological well-being. Estimates of the prevalence of neuropathic pain in the general population are difficult to determine due to varying causes; however, studies suggest neuropathic pain disproportionately affects women, older adults and manual laborers. PCORI is interested in funding patient-, healthcare provider- and/or systems-level CER comparing strategies aimed to improve screening, diagnosis, treatment and management of pain associated with neuropathy among children and adults.

Priority Areas

• The Topic Themes, clustered into three groups, are as follows:
  • Populations:
    • Improving outcomes for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD)
    • Promoting health for older adults
    • Promoting healthy children and youth
  • Health Behaviors:
    • Addressing substance use
    • Addressing violence and trauma Health Conditions
  • Health Conditions:
    • Addressing COVID-19
    • Addressing rare diseases
    • Improving cardiovascular health
    • Improving mental and behavioral health
    • Managing pain
    • Preventing maternal morbidity and mortality (MMM)
    • Promoting sleep health

Funding Information

• Funds Available Up To: $100 million
• Total Direct Costs: Up to $12 million
• Maximum Project Period: Up to five years

Expected Outcomes

• At least one validated primary outcome must be focused on pain. Additional patient-centered outcomes of interest must be clinically meaningful, impactful and supported by stakeholder input.

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 forprofit research organizations, and colleges and universities.
• Per PCORI’s authorizing statute, every applicant must demonstrate capability to comply with the following conditions: abide by the transparency and conflicts of interest requirements that apply to PCORI with respect to the research managed or conducted under contract; comply with the PCORI methodological standards adopted by the Board of Governors; consult, as appropriate, with the expert advisory panels for clinical trials and rare disease; deposit de-identified data from the original research into a PCORI designated repository to facilitate data sharing, as appropriate; have appropriate processes in place to manage data privacy and meet ethical standards for the research; comply with the requirements of PCORI for making the information available to the public; and comply with other terms and conditions determined necessary by PCORI to carry out the research project.

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.