The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) released a PCORI Funding Announcement (PFA) on January 10, seeking to fund studies that build an evidence base on engagement in research. Required Letters of Intent are due on Tuesday, February 7 by 5:00 PM (ET). Full applications for invited projects will be due on May 2.

PCORI’s PFA on the Science of Engagement solicits applications that focus on:

• Development and/or validation of measures tocapture structure/context, process, and outcomes of engagement, for both stakeholders and investigators
• Development and testing of engagement techniques to generate evidence on the most effective engagement approaches, particularly for underrepresented populations, and how effectiveness varies by context  

Initial funding will primarily focus on measure development and/or validation, particularly rapid measure development, leveraging opportunities to support teams who may have already begun measure development work. Applicants can also validate or adapt existing measures initially developed for this or different contexts (e.g., community-based participatory research, engagement in healthcare delivery). A smaller number of early awards will test engagement techniques using a combination of limited, existing validated measures of engagement and measures of other research outcomes (e.g., participant recruitment and retention; diversity, equity, and inclusion outcomes). PCORI anticipates multiple funding cycles for this initiative, with the focus of subsequent PFAs to be updated as the evidence base grows.

Please review the full announcement for details and register for the applicant town hall on January 23, 2023, at noon (ET), where researchers and stakeholders will learn more about this funding initiative. You can also sign up for 1:1 office hours with PCORI staff to ask questions.