RFPs: Engagement Award – Capacity Building Fall 2026 (United States)

The Eugene Washington PCORI Engagement Award: Capacity Building – Fall 2026 Cycle supports projects that improve the ability of patients, caregivers, families, researchers, and healthcare stakeholders to participate in patient-centered comparative clinical effectiveness research (CER). The programme provides grants of up to USD 300,000 for projects lasting up to two years that strengthen meaningful partnerships in health research.

About the PCORI Engagement Award: Capacity Building Program

The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) offers the Eugene Washington PCORI Engagement Award: Capacity Building to strengthen skills, knowledge, and systems needed for effective patient and community involvement in healthcare research.

The programme focuses on improving collaboration between:

• Patients.
• Families.
• Caregivers.
• Researchers.
• Healthcare professionals.
• Community organisations.

The goal is to ensure that health research reflects the needs, priorities, and experiences of the people who use healthcare services.

Purpose of the Program

The main purpose of this funding opportunity is to build capacity for:

• Patient-centered comparative clinical effectiveness research (CER).
• Meaningful patient and community engagement.
• Stronger researcher–patient partnerships.
• Improved healthcare decision-making.

The programme supports activities that help communities and researchers work together throughout the research process.

What is Patient-Centered Comparative Clinical Effectiveness Research (CER)?

Patient-centered CER compares healthcare options to determine what works best for different patients and communities.

It focuses on:

• Real-world healthcare decisions.
• Patient priorities and experiences.
• Treatment effectiveness.
• Healthcare outcomes.

Patient engagement ensures that research questions and outcomes are meaningful to those affected by healthcare decisions.

Key Objectives of the Award

The programme supports projects that:

• Increase patient and caregiver participation in research.
• Improve research partnership skills.
• Strengthen community involvement in healthcare research.
• Expand the impact of previous PCORI Engagement Award projects.
• Create sustainable engagement approaches.

Who Can Benefit from These Projects?

Projects may support:

Patients and Families

Activities may help patients:

• Understand research processes.
• Participate as research partners.
• Share healthcare experiences.

Caregivers

Projects may strengthen caregiver involvement by:

• Building research knowledge.
• Supporting meaningful participation.

Researchers

Projects may help researchers:

• Develop partnership skills.
• Improve collaboration methods.
• Engage communities effectively.

Healthcare Communities

Projects may strengthen:

• Healthcare organisations.
• Community partnerships.
• Research engagement networks.

Funding Details

The programme provides:

• Maximum award amount: Up to USD 300,000.
• Funding coverage: Direct and indirect costs included.
• Project duration: Up to 2 years.

The earliest possible project start date is:

• 1 July 2027

Important Funding Restriction

The award does not fund research studies.

Funding supports:

• Training.
• Capacity development.
• Engagement activities.
• Partnership-building activities.

Eligible Project Activities

Projects may include:

• Training programmes for patients and researchers.
• Workshops on patient engagement.
• Community education activities.
• Partnership development initiatives.
• Tools and resources for research collaboration.
• Expansion of successful engagement models.

Who is Eligible?

Applicants must propose projects that clearly demonstrate how they will strengthen capacity for patient-centered CER.

Eligible applicants may include organisations working with:

• Patients.
• Healthcare communities.
• Researchers.
• Caregiver groups.
• Community stakeholders.

Applicants should demonstrate:

• Ability to deliver capacity-building activities.
• Experience supporting partnerships.
• Commitment to meaningful engagement.

How to Apply

The application process has two main stages.

Step 1: Submit a Letter of Intent (LOI)

Applicants must first submit a Letter of Intent through:

• PCORI Connect portal.

The LOI should explain:

• Project purpose.
• Capacity-building goals.
• Target participants.
• Expected impact.

Step 2: Receive Invitation for Full Application

Only applicants whose LOIs are accepted and receive an invitation from PCORI may submit a full proposal.

Step 3: Submit Full Application

Invited applicants must provide detailed information about:

• Project design.
• Implementation plan.
• Budget.
• Expected outcomes.
• Sustainability approach.

Review and Selection Process

Applications are reviewed through PCORI’s Engagement Award review process.

Reviewers consider:

• Alignment with patient-centered CER goals.
• Strength of capacity-building approach.
• Community involvement.
• Project feasibility.
• Expected impact.

Why This Program Matters

Healthcare research becomes stronger when patients and communities actively participate in decision-making.

This programme helps:

• Improve trust between researchers and communities.
• Ensure research addresses real healthcare needs.
• Increase representation of patient perspectives.
• Create more effective healthcare solutions.

Application Tips

Applicants should:

• Clearly explain how the project builds engagement skills.
• Describe the role of patients and caregivers.
• Show long-term sustainability.
• Demonstrate collaboration between stakeholders.
• Provide measurable capacity-building outcomes.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Applicants should avoid:

• Proposing a research study instead of capacity building.
• Focusing only on researchers without patient involvement.
• Providing unclear engagement strategies.
• Failing to explain expected outcomes.
• Submitting a full application without an accepted LOI invitation.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is the Eugene Washington PCORI Engagement Award?

It is a funding programme that supports projects strengthening patient and community engagement in comparative clinical effectiveness research.

How much funding is available?

Projects can receive up to USD 300,000 including direct and indirect costs.

Does this award fund research studies?

No. The programme supports capacity building and engagement activities, not research projects.

What is the maximum project duration?

Projects can run for up to two years.

How does the application process begin?

Applicants must first submit a Letter of Intent through PCORI Connect.

Who can participate in funded projects?

Projects may involve patients, families, caregivers, researchers, healthcare organisations, and community stakeholders.

When can funded projects begin?

The earliest project start date is 1 July 2027.

Conclusion

The Eugene Washington PCORI Engagement Award: Capacity Building – Fall 2026 Cycle provides significant support for organisations working to strengthen patient-centered healthcare research partnerships. By funding training, collaboration, and engagement capacity, the programme helps patients, caregivers, researchers, and healthcare communities work together to create more relevant and effective healthcare solutions.