Become a Stakeholder Reviewer for PCORI Funding Applications

Introduction

PCORI invites patients, caregivers, clinicians, and other stakeholders (e.g., organizational providers, purchasers, payers, industry, policymakers, educational institutions, and advocacy group representatives) to serve as reviewers of the research applications submitted in response to our recently released funding announcements.

Stakeholder reviewers will assess the potential impact on patients and caregivers of the research and ensure that patient and stakeholder concerns are well-represented in the research proposal and on the research team.

PCORI needs reviewers for both current and future funding announcements in the following areas of interest:

  1. Assessment of Prevention, Diagnosis, and Treatment Options: For projects that specifically address individual decisions faced by patients, their caregivers, and clinicians.
  2. Improving Healthcare Systems: For projects that address decisions faced by healthcare systems, the patients and caregivers who rely on them, and the clinicians who work within them.
  3. Communication and Dissemination Research: For projects that address questions in how to best disseminate clinical evidence to patients, their caregivers, and clinicians and how to best support communication among these groups.
  4. Addressing Disparities: For projects that will inform the choice of strategies to eliminate disparities.
  5. Accelerating Patient-Centered Outcomes Research and Methodological Research

Stakeholder Reviewer Characteristics

PCORI’s stakeholder reviewers represent the broad communities of individuals who are interested in or will benefit from PCORI-funded research. These include patients, caregivers, clinicians, providers, purchasers, payers, industry, policymakers, and educational institution and advocacy group representatives.

Stakeholder reviewers generally will have had previous experience reviewing research; representing the interests and perspectives of patients, families, or caregivers; or working in health care or related fields; and have particular interests in patient-centered health care, evidence-based medicine, quality improvement, or patient safety.

Specific characteristics we seek in stakeholder reviewers include:

  • Experience with health and health care as a practitioner, payer, policymaker, or member of representative organizations.
  • At least three years of substantial, demonstrated involvement in community-based initiatives involving representation of the interests and perspectives of patients/family/caregiver/advocates (eg, service on boards or committees), relevant publications, or presentations.
  • Interest in learning about health and health care, familiarity with health care and science-related issues, or formal training in these areas.
  • Dedication to making a contribution to healthcare research, for example, experience as a:
    • Research participant.
    • Reviewer.
    • Institutional Review Board (IRB) member.
  • Ability to work as both a team player and a self-starter.
  • Ability to represent the perspective of a broad group of patients, caregivers, or other stakeholders.
  • Ability to evaluate and understand healthcare issues beyond a specific disease experience.
  • Past participation in decision-making bodies at a national, state, or local level.
  • Leadership qualities.
  • Firsthand experience in service, advocacy, policy-setting, or other similar activities in the healthcare system or with healthcare-related organization.
  • An understanding of the need to include gender and geographic diversity; underrepresented patient populations; ethnic and racial groups; and individuals from socially, culturally, economically, or educationally disadvantaged backgrounds in any study involving human participants.
  • Availability to participate in review meetings.
  • Writing skills and ability to make oral presentations; ability to speak, read, write, and understand English.
  • Comfort and skill in using the Internet and e-mail.

An individual need not meet all criteria or have all characteristics above to be selected. We value gender, geographic, racial, and ethnic diversity among reviewers as well.

Process Overview

1. Complete Reviewer Training

If you are assigned to serve as a reviewer of PCORI’s Funding Applications, you will be notified via email and online training will be provided. This required, 90 minute training contains information regarding the PCORI review criteria, process, and instructions on how to score PCORI Funding Applications.

Online System Instructional Guide: We encourage all reviewers to view our PCORI Online Instructional Guide.

In addition, webinars will be provided for reviewers to discuss any questions or concerns you may have after completing online training with PCORI contracts staff and scientists. Registration is required to attend these webinars.

2. Discover Your Match

Once reviewers complete training, PCORI contracts staff will make every effort to match your area of expertise to areas of research within funding applications. Once you receive notification of assignments, reviewers will need to review for any conflicts of interest. If you find that you have a conflict of interest with any assigned applications, please notify PCORI and this application will be reassigned to another reviewer. If you do not have conflicts of interests, you can accept your assignments in PCORI Online and begin to assess your assigned applications.

3. Assess Applications 

Once you have accepted your assigned applications to review, you will critique and score the application based on the PCORI review criteria in the Online Review.

It is estimated that to review and score an application, it will take approximately 3 hours. If you reviewed and scored an application online and it makes it to panel discussion, you will be asked to share your critique and overall score. Reviewers will receive $100 for reviewing 1-3 applications and $200 for reviewing more than 3 applications.

4. Prepare for Panel

All reviewers will need to attend an In-Person Merit Review Panel where all applications within a PFA will be discussed. For the panel, reviewers will need to familiarize themselves with all applications being discussed in their assigned panel. This information will be provided a few weeks prior to the panel so that you have time to prepare.

5. Attend Panel 

The one-two day Merit Review Panel will take place in Washington, DC area. Reviewers will receive $100 for reviewing 1-3 applications and $200 for reviewing more than 3 applications.

Should You Apply to Be a Stakeholder Reviewer?

If you are selected as a stakeholder reviewer, you agree to:

  1. Become familiar with and apply PCORI’s mission, vision, and review criteria.
  2. Complete all necessary reviewer training.
  3. Participate in a one- or two-day peer review panel meeting in Washington, DC. In-person attendance is required unless exceptional circumstances (such as a disability) prevent travel.
  4. Provide your scores and written critiques to us electronically.
  5. Be comfortable reviewing applications written in English.
  6. Review applications for a period of up to three years, subject to official invitation by PCORI (you would be asked to serve as a reviewer no more than two to three times per year).

Applying

After you have carefully reviewed the opportunities and requirements and decide that you are interested in becoming a stakeholder reviewer, please apply by following the link at the end of this document. If, after reviewing this information, you believe you might be better suited to serve as a scientific reviewer, you can find out more about that opportunity here. 

Upon receipt of your application, we will review your credentials and experience and determine whether there is a match between your qualifications and our needs for the upcoming round of reviews. Please note that in addition to our standard three-times-yearly funding cycle, PCORI also will fund certain targeted and solicited application requests. If you are selected as a potential reviewer for any given round of funding, we will contact you at an appropriate time. If you are not chosen for the first round of funding opportunities, you may be selected for future opportunities.

We will have ongoing funding announcements and will retain your information should you match our needs for future research calls. We also will stay in touch with any applicants with updates on PCORI news or other ways to work with us, such as by participating in surveys, workshops, advisory panels, or events. If you’d like to be put on our mailing list so that we can let you know about these opportunities, click here.

Please understand that even if you are preselected to be a reviewer, changes in application assignments may occur and result in different reviewer needs.

Travel Guidelines

PCORI will arrange and pay for all reviewers’ travel (except local travel) and lodging for any meetings. Reviewers receive an honoraria of $100 for reviewing 1-3 applications and $200 for reviewing more than 3 applications. An additional honoraria is provided for attending the in-person merit review at $200 per day. If meals and ground transportation is not provided, PCORI will provide reimbursement within reason of these costs.

 

Minimal Technical Requirements

  • Basic computer knowledge.
  • Basic knowledge of the Internet.
  • Basic knowledge of e-mail.
  • Internet access.

Thank you for your interest in joining the PCORI community.