PCORI Selects 47 Individuals, Small Groups Receive Initial Project Funding through Pipeline to Proposal Awards

For Immediate Release
Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute

WASHINGTON, DC (April 29, 2015) – The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) has approved 47 new projects to receive community-building funding support through its Pipeline to Proposal Awards program.

The 47 projects will receive Tier I awards ranging from about $10,700 to $15,000 and totaling nearly $700,000. The projects will bring together patients, other healthcare stakeholders, and researchers who share a desire to participate in patient-centered outcomes research. The goal of Tier I funding is to build partnerships around a healthcare topic and enable them to form ideas for proposals for patient-centered comparative effectiveness research (CER) studies.

The awards are provided through PCORI’s Pipeline to Proposal Awards program, which enables individuals and groups that are not typically involved in clinical research to develop the means to produce community-led funding proposals. This is the second round of Tier I awards approved through the program.

The 47 projects focus on 35 health issues, including liver cirrhosis, osteoarthritis, sickle cell disease, spinal cord injuries, and chronic pain. The awardees span 20 states and Puerto Rico. Eight of the awardees are organizations that span multiple regions and are considered national. A list of the Tier I projects can be found on PCORI’s website.

“Giving an opportunity for these patient- and community-driven partnerships to develop represents part of PCORI’s commitment to patient-centered research,” said Jean Slutsky, PA, MSPH, PCORI's Chief Engagement and Dissemination Officer. “We’re excited to offer another opportunity to assist those who are eager to promote and engage in community building through the second round of Pipeline to Proposal awardees. We look forward to seeing their work over the next nine months.”

Tier I awards provide up to $15,000 per project to help recipients build their community partnerships and begin developing governance structures, communications plans, and potential research questions.

Tier I funding is the first phase of PCORI’s three-tier Pipeline to Proposal Awards program. Tier I awards fund community-building and engagement projects. Tier II awards of up to $25,000 further enhance projects’ capacities, and Tier III awards of up to $50,000 support the development of high-quality, patient-centered research proposals that can be submitted to PCORI or other funders.

The new awardees are the second group to receive funding through this awards program. Tier I awards are open to patients, caregivers, researchers, or other healthcare stakeholders with a compelling idea for a research project. The 47 new Tier I award recipients have up to nine months to complete their proposed work after which they can apply for Tier II funding. More information on the program is available on PCORI’s website.

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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.