Advancing the Science of Engagement in Research PCORI Funding Announcement -- Cycle 2 2026

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Receiving Invited Applications Advancing the Science of Engagement in Research PCORI Funding Announcement -- Cycle 2 2026

Research

Cycle 2 2026 Key Dates PFA Open

April 1, 2026 Applicant Town Hall

View recording/slides Letter of Intent (LOI) Deadline

April 28, 2026; 5 pm (ET) LOI Status Notification

June 2, 2026 Application Deadline

Sept. 1, 2026; 5 pm (ET)

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This PCORI Funding Announcement (PFA) seeks to fund studies that build an evidence base on engagement in research, including: Measures to capture structure/context, process, and outcomes of engagement in research. Techniques that lead to effective engagement in research. How effective engagement techniques should be modified and resourced for different contexts, settings, and communities.

Over the past decade, PCORI has transformed how research is conducted by requiring the engagement of patients, families, caregivers, and the broader health and healthcare community. Engagement in research is defined as the meaningful involvement and partnership of stakeholders throughout the research process, from planning and conducting the study to ultimately disseminating study results.

Much has been learned about engagement in research from PCORI’s investments, yet significant evidence gaps remain. There is presently no consensus on how to define or measure engagement, and there has been little systematic study of which engagement techniques are most effective.

Through more than 10 years of funding engaged research, PCORI has learned that engagement is a complex intervention, and there is not yet an in-depth understanding of how engagement in research produces its effects. Consistent with complex health intervention frameworks and the Donabedian Structure/Context-Process-Outcomes framework, studies must first define the activities and behaviors that engagement entails, and measure them, to understand which components predict success and the causal mechanisms underlying them.

Applications focused on patient engagement in clinical or self care are not responsive to this PFA. This includes clinical shared decision-making interventions,…

Topic areas: Life Sciences and Health, Public Policy and Governance, Social Sciences and Humanities, Education and Training.

Funding amount

This grant provides Varies in funding.

Deadline

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis; there is no single fixed deadline.

Who can apply

This opportunity is open to the following applicant types:

• Not specified by the program.

Eligibility

The program did not publish a separate eligibility statement. See the official opportunity page for the full eligibility criteria.

Agency

Advancing the Science of Engagement in Research PCORI Funding Announcement -- Cycle 2 2026 is administered by Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), listed via Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute.