Implementation of Findings From PCORI's Research Investments PCORI Funding Announcement -- Cycle 3 2026

Implementation of Findings From PCORI's Research Investments PCORI Funding Announcement -- Cycle 3 2026 is sponsored by Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI). This PFA seeks to fund implementation projects that promote the uptake of peer-reviewed findings from specific PCORI-funded patient-centered comparative clinical effectiveness research (CER) in the context of the body of related evidence.

* **Letter of Intent (LOI) Deadline** * **LOI Status Notification** * **Application Deadline** _Jan. 12, 2027; 5 pm (ET)_ This PCORI Funding Announcement (PFA) seeks to fund implementation projects that promote the uptake of peer-reviewed findings from specific PCORI-funded patient-centered comparative clinical effectiveness research (CER) in the context of the body of related evidence.

This PFA is an open competition opportunity for principal investigators to propose implementation projects that move evidence toward practical use in improving health care and health outcomes. Applicants may propose projects with budgets up to $1. 8 million in total direct costs.

## Evidence Eligible as the Focus of Implementation Under This PFA Each release of this PFA will identify selected published, peer-reviewed evidence as the focus of implementation for proposed projects. These findings have been generated by PCORI-funded research or systematic reviews. With this PFA, PCORI is interested only in applications proposing projects to implement the evidence identified.

For the Cycle 3 2026 PFA, PCORI has identified the following areas of eligible evidence*: 1. **Screening and Treatment of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder in Children and Adolescents** Recent findings support the strength of evidence for specific treatment approaches for pediatric OCD, including recommendations for therapy and medication.

Increasing access to effective evidence-based treatment for children and teens with OCD has the potential to reduce symptoms and improve quality of life for youth with OCD and their families. 2. **Direct Hospital Admissions Programs for Children** Most unplanned pediatric hospitalizations occur through the emergency department.

However, direct admission to the hospital may offer advantages, including alignment with clinician and caregiver preferences and decreased burden on the emergency department. A PCORI-funded patient-centered CER study found that when comparing direct admission to emergency department hospital admissions for pediatric patients with certain conditions, direct admission resulted in 3. 1 more minutes to clinical assessment but 49.

6 fewer minutes to therapeutic management. The study found no significant differences in time to initial diagnostic testing or in post-admission clinical deterioration. 3.

**Early Palliative Care for Patients With Advanced Cancer** Patients with advanced cancer benefit from receiving palliative care early after diagnosis. However, few patients currently receive palliative care upon diagnosis. A PCORI-funded study found that telehealth and in-person palliative care showed equivalent patient quality of life outcomes for patients diagnosed with advanced lung cancer.

Telehealth has the potential to expand access to early palliative care for patients with advanced cancer, especially among patients who experience barriers to in-person visits. *More detailed descriptions of the selected evidence will be included in the PFA. Additional eligible evidence is added to this funding opportunity; if this is the case, it will be posted no later than one month prior to the cycle open date.

4. **Caries Arrest and Prevention in Children** Untreated tooth decay in children can lead to pain and infections that may result in problems with normal activities like eating, playing, and learning. School-based programs can help improve children’s oral health.

A PCORI-funded CER study compared the effectiveness of silver diamine fluoride to standard sealants in a school-based program to arrest ongoing tooth decay and prevent new cavities. The study found that SDF was non-inferior to standard sealants. In addition, registered nurse application of SDF was non-inferior to dental hygienist application of SDF in the treatment of tooth decay and prevention of cavities.

## Projects To Be Funded Under This PFA PCORI seeks to fund implementation projects that incorporate active, multicomponent strategies that will lead to uptake and integration of evidence generated by PCORI-funded research in practice settings. Implementation should target specific end users with a clear interest in — and ability to benefit from — the evidence.

Proposed implementation projects will adapt findings as needed to facilitate uptake in the proposed settings and accomplish scale-up to reach larger numbers and/or scale-out to reach broader populations and settings.

Applicants must demonstrate commitment and buy-in — including from leadership as well as frontline staff critical to the success of the project — from proposed implementation sites across multiple health systems, such that they provide a supportive context and infrastructure for undertaking the proposed project.

In addition, projects should involve regional and national stakeholder organizations positioned to extend uptake in broader venues. Applications must be guided by an established conceptual model or framework and, where possible, by evidence regarding effective strategies for implementing evidence-based practices and interventions.

Additionally, applications must include a rigorous evaluation plan that documents the successful execution of the implementation approach and the impact of the project on health care and health outcomes as feasible and appropriate within the project scope.

This is an Open Competition funding opportunity that seeks to draw on the expertise, creativity and capacity of a broad applicant pool, including implementation experts and key patient and stakeholder partners. As such, PCORI does not require applicants to have been associated with the PCORI-funded studies described above, nor do they need to have received any previous PCORI funding.

For questions regarding this Cycle 3 2026 Open Competition Implementation Award funding announcement, please contact pfa@pcori. org. Download Full Announcement Letter of Intent Deadline Letter of Intent Status Notification August 2027 (Subject to Change) ## Funds and Project Period ## To Apply for This Opportunity 1.

Read the fullOpen Competition: Implementation of Findings From PCORI's Research Investments PFAand FAQs 2. Use the Application Readiness Checklist 3. Submit a Letter of Intent (LOI) through PCORI Connect").

* All new and returning applicants will use the new PCORI Connect submission portal, which has built-in templates (for most PFAs) and resources for a streamlined experience. * PCORI Connect Help Center 4. Submit an application, upon invitation only, through PCORI Connect.

* Application submission requires LOI acceptance and invitation by PCORI to submit a proposal. Additional Applicant Resources