PCORI opens board nominations May 1
- The Government Accountability Office opened nominations for three Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute board seats, with letters and resumes due by May 1, 2026 for appointments taking effect in September. - The vacancies are narrowly defined: one physician, one quality-improvement or health-services researcher, and one private-payer representative for employers that self-insure employee health benefits. - PCORI’s board helps steer a federally created research funder whose governors include NIH and AHRQ leaders and up to 21 additional members. (federalregister.gov)
The Government Accountability Office is taking nominations through May 1, 2026 for three seats on the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute’s Board of Governors. (federalregister.gov) The openings are for a physician, a quality-improvement or health-services researcher, and a private-payer representative for employers that self-insure employee health benefits. The appointments are tied to board terms ending in September 2026. (federalregister.gov) (govinfo.gov) GAO said nomination letters and resumes should be emailed to PCORI@gao.gov with “PCORI nominations” in the subject line. The notice says the May 1 deadline is meant to give reviewers enough time before the appointments are made. (federalregister.gov) PCORI is the nonprofit research institute created by the Affordable Care Act to fund patient-centered comparative clinical effectiveness research. Its studies are meant to compare medical options so patients, clinicians and health systems can make treatment decisions with better evidence. (pcori.org 1) (pcori.org 2) The board does not just hold ceremonial seats. Under PCORI’s authorizing law, it includes the directors of the National Institutes of Health and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, or their designees, plus as many as 21 additional members representing stakeholder groups. (pcori.org) (federalregister.gov) That structure matters for who gets a voice in research governance. The three categories in this year’s call cover clinical practice, health-services evidence and employer-backed insurance plans that pay claims directly rather than buying full insurance from a carrier. (federalregister.gov) PCORI is also in the middle of its 2026 funding cycles, with multiple research and dissemination opportunities posted this year. The organization says it funds comparative clinical effectiveness research, engagement projects and dissemination work aimed at moving evidence into practice. (pcori.org 1) (pcori.org 2) The next public marker after the nomination deadline is the board’s September 2026 meeting, which PCORI has already listed on its events calendar. By then, the new governors are expected to be in place for the next round of board business. (pcori.org)
