I. What You Need to Know to Apply

Step 1: Learn What We Fund

The Engagement Award program supports PCORI’s Engagement Imperative—defined in our Strategic Plan—and provides a platform to increase engagement in research, that is, the meaningful involvement of patients, caregivers, clinicians, and other healthcare stakeholders throughout the research process. Through this funding announcement, we provide support for symposia, seminars, workshops, and other organized and formal meetings where individuals assemble to exchange information or explore issues or areas of knowledge related to PCOR/CER.

Step 2: Learn What We Don't Fund

LOIs and applications will be considered nonresponsive for an Engagement Award if they propose:

• Projects solely intended to increase patient engagement in health care or health care systems rather than health care research
• Projects to design or test health care interventions
• Activities that involve the use of a drug or medical device
• Development of clinical practice guidelines or care protocols
• Projects to recruit and enroll patients for clinical trials
• Projects that only involve patients as subjects (individuals enrolled into a study as participants)
• Research studies including randomized controlled trials, observational studies and pragmatic clinical studies
• Development or maintenance of a registry, or recruitment to participate in a registry
• Projects designed solely to validate tools or instruments
• Writing research proposals or completing grant applications, grantmaking
• Projects focused on social determinants of health, with no focus on patient-centered outcomes research, or comparative clinical effectiveness research
• Planning for dissemination or dissemination initiatives without including PCORI-funded research or related products
• Conferences that are scheduled to occur less than 6 months from the application due date
• Projects or meetings without a clear focus on patient-centered outcomes research, or comparative clinical effectiveness research

Step 3: Select the Funding Opportunity that Best Aligns with Your Proposed Project

Step 4: Apply for an Engagement Award

Applying for an Engagement Award: Conference Support is a one-stage process unlike applying for other Engagement Awards. A full proposal is required at the time of submission and an LOI is not needed. Specific requirements and guidance to complete a successful application are found in the full funding announcement, application guidelines, and application checklist.

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II. Eligibility

Applications may be submitted by any private or public-sector organization, including any non-profit or for-profit organization or any unit of local, state, or federal government. All US applicant organizations must be recognized by the Internal Revenue Service. Non-domestic components of organizations based in the United States and foreign organizations may apply, as long as there is demonstrable benefit to the US healthcare system, and US efforts in the area of patient-centered research can be clearly shown. Organizations may submit multiple applications for funding. Individuals are not permitted to apply.

Funding Priorities

Examples of meetings/conference themes of interest include but are not limited to the following:

• Research Design and Methodology—Addresses methodological and technical issues of major importance in the field of PCOR/CER, or facilitates development of new research designs/methodologies.
• Research Development—Explores or identifies potential topics for PCOR/CER with patients, researchers, or other relevant stakeholders. Conference organizers must identify a clear audience for the topic identification exercise, particularly a research funding organization.
• Dissemination and Implementation—Communicates findings—or emerging findings—from PCORI or related studies to a targeted, essential end-user audience. Conference organizers must address the proposed conference activities as part of an essential strategy for increasing the uptake of findings that have important potential impact on clinical practice, including the important role of the proposed target end-user audience.

We expect that projects selected for an Engagement Award will further PCORI’s goals of promoting the relevance of research to target audiences and the uptake of research results by end-users.  We are committed to using and sharing successful approaches.

The information and tools generated by Engagement Award projects must be generalizable; they must be of interest or use not just to the applicant organizations but to others doing related work. The tools and information will be made public so they can have a broader impact.

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III. Review Process

Proposals should be submitted by the application deadline. Proposals will be reviewed within 60 days of submission. If the proposal is awarded, a PCORI staff member will coordinate arrangements to begin contracting negotiations. Typically contracts negotiations take about six weeks. To select high-quality patient-centered projects, PCORI’s Engagement and Contract Management and Administration teams, and internal and external subject matter experts (as necessary) will review all applications.

Review Criteria

Applications will be reviewed using the criteria below:

1. Program Fit
2. Project Plan and Timeline
3. Qualifications of the Project Lead
4. Personnel and Collaborators
5. Past Performance
6. Budget/Cost Proposal

For additional details on the review process click here.

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IV. Applicant Templates

The applicant templates have been removed.

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V. Applicant Resources

The applicant resources have been removed.

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VI. Questions?

Please contact PCORI at ea@pcori.org or (202) 370-9312. PCORI will provide a response within three business days.

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