The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 authorized AHRQ to develop the skills of researchers to build capacity for future comparative effectiveness research (CER). With support from the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Trust Fund (PCORTF), beginning in 2011, AHRQ fostered unique training grant programs to build capacity to conduct CER by supporting training in the methods used to conduct such research. These programs are collectively known as the PCORTF Training Program (PCORTF-TP).
This report presents an independent evaluation of the outputs and early outcomes of AHRQ's PCORTF Training Program, covering the period of 2011 through 2020. During this period, AHRQ issued 80 PCORTF-supported grant awards, with start dates occurring between 2012 and 2017.  Program funding opportunities represented three grant activity categories: 1) Career Development Awards, 2) Research Infrastructure Capacity Building Grants and 3) Research Education Grants.
Using a mixed-methods approach, the evaluation involved surveys, interviews, and bibliometric analyses to provide a comprehensive assessment of these programs. Findings from the evaluation suggest AHRQ’s PCORTF–Training Program has been successful at its core goal of increasing national CER/PCOR capacity and has supported mentoring, collaboration, community engagement, and faculty recruitment. Findings also revealed robust scholarly output, inclusive of publications and tools to support shared clinical decision making, creation of CER/PCOR training curricula, and memoranda of understanding with partners representing diverse stakeholders. The evaluation's relevance is underscored by lessons learned about the importance of mentoring, collaboration, and experiential learning, informing future funding strategies for training grants.
