Advancing the Science of Engagement in Research PCORI Funding Announcement - Cycle 3 2026
Advancing the Science of Engagement in Research PCORI Funding Announcement - Cycle 3 2026 supports research teams testing measures and methods to strengthen patient and stakeholder partnerships in research.
Funder: Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute
Due Dates: September 9, 2026, 5 pm ET (LOI) | January 12, 2027, 5 pm ET (Invited application)
Funding Amounts: Up to $1 million direct costs for two years (Category 1) or $1.5 million for three years (Category 2); approximately $36 million available
Summary: Supports research validating measures and rigorously testing methods for meaningful patient and stakeholder partnerships throughout research.
Key Information: Full applications require LOI acceptance and a PCORI invitation; individuals cannot apply.
Description
PCORI’s Advancing the Science of Engagement in Research program funds studies addressing critical gaps in how meaningful research partnerships are measured and conducted. Engagement means involving patients, families, caregivers and the broader health and healthcare community as partners in planning, conducting and disseminating research—not simply enrolling them as study participants.
The program supports validation of engagement measures and assessment strategies, alongside rigorous testing of engagement methods in real-world settings. Its goal is an actionable evidence base showing which approaches work, how they produce effects, and how they should be adapted and resourced across contexts and communities. Studies need not conduct patient-centered comparative clinical effectiveness research (CER), and may be embedded within existing funded projects.
