Phased Large Awards for Comparative Effectiveness Research PCORI Funding Announcement -- Cycle 2 2026

This PCORI Funding Announcement (PFA) invites applications for high impact patient-centered comparative clinical effectiveness research (CER) projects that will address critical decisions faced by patients, families, caregivers, clinicians, and the health and healthcare community and for which there is insufficient evidence.

Investigators must propose an individual-level or cluster randomized controlled trial of significant scale and scope for this PFA. The proposed trials should address critical decisional dilemmas that require important new evidence about the comparative clinical effectiveness of available interventions. Proposed studies should compare interventions that already have robust evidence of efficacy and are in current use. If efficacy is not well established, then widespread use must be documented. Clinical interventions (such as medications, diagnostic tests, or procedures) and delivery system interventions (such as workforce, technologies and healthcare service delivery designs) are appropriate for these studies.

Research proposed under this PFA will require two phases of funding. The initial phase of funding supports a feasibility phase intended for study refinement, infrastructure establishment, patient and stakeholder engagement, and testing of study operations, including the ability to recruit, enroll and randomize participants successfully. The feasibility phase must also test intervention delivery and data collection. Using the feasibility phase to establish evidence of an intervention’s efficacy or effect size is not permitted. Approval to proceed to the full-scale trial phase will be contingent on achieving specific milestones and deliverables established for the feasibility phase.

Shared Trial Leadership: Data Coordinating Center 

Considering the scale, complexity and scope of trials being solicited under this PFA, PCORI requires that applications include shared trial leadership by a data coordinating center to provide an independent role in study leadership, advising on the analytical, statistical and data management aspects of both study phases.

Engagement Resource and Expectations

In PCORI-funded research, patients and other research partners are expected to meaningfully contribute their lived experience or professional expertise to ensure studies are patient-centered, relevant and useful for healthcare decision making. Applicants must address PCORI’s Foundational Expectations for Partnerships in Research — an evidence-based framework supported by tools and resources to guide effective engagement strategies. View additional details on each of the Foundational Expectations.

Moreover, meaningful patient and stakeholder engagement is viewed as an essential component of funded PLACER studies, and the feasibility phase provides an opportunity to further develop engagement plans and activities. Applicants should include leaders experienced in stakeholder engagement as part of the overall trial leadership in both study phases. Applicants’ use of multiple approaches that occur along a continuum of engagement from input to shared leadership is encouraged. 

Research Project Agenda Topic Themes  

PCORI's Research Project Agenda comprises a set of Topic Themes that inform focused funding opportunities for patient-centered CER through a series of funding cycles. This set of Topic Themes evolves over time to promote PCORI funding across the full range of health issues and conditions faced by the U.S. population.  

Applicants to the Cycle 2 2026 PLACER PFA may select up to three of PCORI’s Research Project Agenda Topic Themes that best align with their proposed research. Applicants may also opt not to select from the PCORI Research Project Agenda Topic Themes and select “N/A” to indicate that their research aligns with other areas of important need for patient-centered CER. In keeping with past cycles, the PLACER PFA welcomes all investigator-initiated, patient-centered CER. 

Coverage of Patient Care Costs 

All applicants submitting to this PFA may request coverage of patient care costs. Coverage of these costs will be subject to meeting specified criteria that PCORI will use to determine which costs, if any, may be acceptable for potential funding. PCORI funding for requested patient care costs is not assured. 

Budget and Duration 

Investigators may request up to $2 million in direct costs for a feasibility phase (up to 18 months in duration), with up to $20 million in direct costs for continuation to a full-scale phase (up to five years in duration). Combined direct costs for the full application, including the transition from the feasibility phase to the full-scale study, should not exceed $22 million. Applications requesting less than $12 million in direct costs will be considered nonresponsive to this PFA. 

Application Deferral Policy  

The PLACER PFA will not accept deferrals for Cycle 2 2026, as PLACER will not be issued in Cycle 3 2026. The PLACER PFA will be considered for additional issuances in 2027. 

For questions regarding the Cycle 2 2026 PLACER funding announcement, please reach out to pfa@pcori.org.