title: The ARRA investment in CER: a description of the midstream evaluation and how the funds were allocated and CER priorities addressed.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the evaluation design of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 comparative effectiveness research (CER) investment, how funds were allocated and how CER priorities were addressed.
  
  
  METHODS
  Primary and secondary data included information from redacted project proposals, an investigator survey and federal project officers, investigators and expert panel discussions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  More than 420 projects (US$1.1 billion) were awarded. Those generating new or synthesizing existing CER made up the plurality (194, or US$524 million). Data infrastructure projects were the second-largest area (28%, US$302 million). More than three-fourths addressed at least one priority population, condition category or intervention category.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These investments expanded the nation's CER activities and its future capacity to conduct CER.
authors.affiliation: Mathematica Policy Research, Princeton, NJ 08543-2393, USA.
authors.forename: Dominick
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Esposito
authors.forename: Pierre L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Yong
authors.forename: Eugene
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rich
authors.forename: Kristin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Geonnotti
authors.forename: Laura D
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Kimmey
mesh_terms: D057186:Comparative Effectiveness Research / Q000191:economics*; D005376:Financial Management / Q000191:economics*; D005380:Financing, Government / Q000191:economics*; D012109:Research Support as Topic / Q000191:economics*; D014481:United States; D016270:United States Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
keywords: comparative effectiveness research; data infrastructure; dissemination and translation; evaluation; human and scientific capital; priority conditions; priority interventions; priority populations