PCORI Selects 27 Individuals, Small Groups to Move to Second Tier of "Pipeline to Proposal" Awards

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) has approved 27 projects that were awarded Tier I support through its "Pipeline to Proposal" Awards program to move forward into the program’s second phase.

The projects will receive Tier II awards totaling $674,328 to continue work they began through initial funding they received in December 2013.

Pipeline to Proposal Awards enable individuals and groups that are not typically involved in clinical research to develop the means to produce community-led funding proposals focused on patient-centered comparative effectiveness research (CER). The 27 projects are part of the first group to receive awards through this program. A list of the Tier II projects can be found on PCORI’s website.

Tier II awards provide up to $25,000 per project to help recipients strengthen their community partnerships, develop research capacity, and hone a CER question that could become the basis of a full PCORI funding proposal.

Tier II funding is the intermediate phase of PCORI’s three-tier Pipeline to Proposal Awards program. Tier I awards of up to $15,000 fund community-building and engagement projects. Tier II awards 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 Pipeline to Proposal Awards program is a manifestation of PCORI’s commitment to the meaningful involvement of patients, caregivers, clinicians, and other stakeholders in all our research endeavors,” said Jean Slutsky, PA, MSPH, PCORI's Chief Engagement and Dissemination Officer. “It provides support to those who may not otherwise have an opportunity to contribute to the field of comparative effectiveness research. We’re pleased to continue to follow these awardees’ progress as they begin to formulate viable research questions.”

Tier II awards are open only to those who have received Tier I awards. The 27 Tier II award recipients have up to one year to complete their proposed work after which they can apply for competitive Tier III funding. More information on the program is available on PCORI’s website.