The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) recently committed up to $50 million in funding for hepatitis C virus (HCV) research, aids.gov reports.

PCORI has asked both private- and public-sector research organizations to apply for grants, including college and university hospitals or health care systems, laboratories and manufacturers, as well as government organizations.

Funds will go toward comparative clinical effectiveness research (CER) studies focusing on four priority research questions:

  • How do new hep C regimens compare in the long term?
  • What are the benefits or harms of treating hep C before liver disease progression?
  • What are the best methods for HCV testing and linkage to care?
  • What are the best options for harder to treat populations such as substance abusers, the mentally ill, or people with complex medical regimens?

Letters of intent for the PCORI grants are due March 6, and applications are due on May 5. PCORI will announce the awards in September.

PCORI was established as a nonprofit, nongovernmental organization in 2010 through the Affordable Care Act (a.k.a. the health care reform law, or ACA) to improve data used to make informed decisions about health.