Broad Pragmatic Studies Grant Program

The Broad Pragmatic Studies funding opportunity is administered by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute, a nonprofit organization authorized by Congress to fund patient-centered comparative clinical effectiveness research. PCORI’s mission is to generate evidence that helps patients, caregivers and healthcare stakeholders make informed decisions by comparing the benefits and harms of different healthcare options. This funding opportunity is part of PCORI’s broader research agenda aligned with national health priorities and is designed to support large-scale, high-impact studies conducted in real-world settings. The purpose of this funding announcement is to support investigator-initiated research that evaluates the comparative effectiveness of clinical interventions, healthcare delivery strategies or system-level approaches. Proposed studies must compare at least two alternatives that are already in use or have evidence of effectiveness. Applicants are encouraged to use pragmatic study designs, such as randomized controlled trials, cluster randomized trials, or well-designed observational studies, to ensure findings are applicable to real-world healthcare environments. Research must focus on clinically meaningful outcomes that matter to patients and should incorporate patient-centered measures and stakeholder input throughout the study. Funding under this opportunity is structured across three categories, with direct costs ranging up to twelve million dollars depending on project scope. Category one supports projects up to five million dollars, while categories two and three support larger-scale studies up to twelve million dollars, including national-level studies leveraging the PCORnet research network. The total funding available across all categories is approximately one hundred twenty million dollars. Projects may span up to five years, and applicants may request funding for patient care costs and structured mentorship activities, although approval of such costs is not guaranteed. Eligibility for this funding opportunity is broad and includes academic institutions, nonprofit organizations, for-profit research entities and government agencies capable of conducting research. Individuals are not eligible to apply independently. Foreign organizations may participate only if they demonstrate that the research will directly benefit healthcare in the United States and involve U.S. patients and stakeholders. Applicants are required to demonstrate compliance with PCORI’s methodological standards, data sharing policies and engagement expectations, including meaningful involvement of patients and other stakeholders in all phases of the research. The application process follows a two-stage submission model. Applicants must first submit a Letter of Intent, which is due on April 28, 2026, and only selected applicants are invited to submit a full application. Full applications must be submitted by September 1, 2026. The review process includes merit review based on scientific rigor, patient-centeredness, feasibility and potential impact, followed by programmatic review and final approval. Awards are expected to be announced in April 2027, with the earliest project start date anticipated in August 2027. Applications are evaluated based on several criteria, including the potential to fill critical evidence gaps, the likelihood of findings being adopted into clinical practice and the scientific merit of the proposed research design. Additional emphasis is placed on patient-centered outcomes and stakeholder engagement. Applicants are also encouraged to address special areas of emphasis such as diabetes care, obesity treatment, urogynecological pain and sickle cell disease pain management, although alignment with these areas is not required. This funding opportunity reflects PCORI’s commitment to advancing evidence-based healthcare by supporting research that is relevant, practical and directly applicable to patient care decisions. By prioritizing real-world evidence and meaningful engagement with patients and stakeholders, the program aims to improve healthcare delivery, outcomes and decision making across diverse populations in the United States.

Focus on patient-centered outcomes, ensure strong stakeholder engagement, and design pragmatic studies with real-world applicability