Terms of Use

Last Updated: March 1, 2023

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Welcome to the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute ("PCORI") website. The terms and conditions set forth below (“Terms of Use”) govern your access to and use of PCORI’s website, which includes the website at www.pcori.org and other websites operated by or on behalf of PCORI that link to these Terms of Use (“Site”).

PLEASE READ THESE TERMS OF USE CAREFULLY. BY ACCESSING OR USING THIS SITE, YOU ACCEPT AND AGREE TO BE LEGALLY BOUND BY THESE TERMS OF USE. IF YOU DO NOT AGREE WITH THESE TERMS OF USE, YOU ARE NOT AUTHORIZED TO ACCESS OR USE THIS SITE.

PCORI may revise, add, or remove terms in these Terms of Use at any time, and changes are effective immediately upon our posting of an updated version of these Terms of Use. When changes are made, we will update the “Last Updated” date at the top of these Terms of Use. It is your responsibility to review these Terms of Use prior to each access and use of this Site. Your continued use of this Site following such changes will be conclusively deemed acceptance by you of any changes to these Terms of Use. References to “you” in these Terms of Use means both (a) you individually unless otherwise stated on this Site or in these Terms of Use and (b) any entity or individual that is your employer or for whom you act as an agent, to the extent you access or use this Site in your role as an employee or agent of a third party

1. Access and Use of this Site

Access and Use of Materials Generally: Part of PCORI’s mission involves making the works we develop and fund widely available to the public.  PCORI uses this Site to help disseminate information about these works and PCORI’s other activities, events, and programs.  Subject to your acceptance of, and compliance with, these Terms of Use, you may access and use this Site and the information, content, products, and services available on or through this Site (collectively, the “Materials”).  Throughout this Site PCORI has made certain content available for download (“Downloadable Content”).  You may use Downloadable Content as described below.  You may not reproduce, display, or distribute any Materials other than certain Downloadable Content, but, as further described below, you may link to or otherwise encourage others to come to this Site to access and view Materials. 

How You Can Use Downloadable Content: Subject to your acceptance of, and compliance with, these Terms of Use, you may download, reproduce, display, and distribute Downloadable Content provided that (a) you do not modify the Downloadable Content or create any derivative works using the Downloadable Content, (b) you do not charge any fees for access to the Downloadable Content, (c) you do not remove or obscure any copyright, trademark, or other notices on the Downloadable Content, and (d) any display or distribution of the Downloadable Content prominently identifies PCORI as the source of the content and includes a link to this Site. However, please note you may not reproduce, display, or distribute the following Downloadable Content:

1. Final Research Reports; 
2. Tools and resources included in the Engagement Tool and Resource Repository for Patient-Centered Outcomes Research (PCOR); and
3. Dissemination and Implementation Award Deliverables. 

Downloadable Spreadsheets are Downloadable Content; however, your rights to use Downloadable Spreadsheets are described below.

Different Terms for Certain Materials: Certain Materials on this Site may be licensed to you under different terms than those set forth above. 

1. Where this Site or any Materials indicate particular license terms apply, such license terms will govern the use, download, reproduction, display, and distribution of such Materials, notwithstanding anything to the contrary in these Terms of Use.  For example, a Creative Commons license applies to Downloadable Content that bears the Creative Commons symbol. Please see the description of Creative Commons licenses on the Creative Commons website. 
2.  Downloadable Spreadsheets are downloadable spreadsheet tools that are manipulatable.  Subject to your acceptance of, and compliance with, these Terms of Use, you may download and use Downloadable Spreadsheets provided that (a) you do not reproduce, publically display, or distribute any Downloadable Spreadsheet; (b) you only modify designated cells (and not the underlying model, formulas, or calculations); (c) you do not charge any fees for access to the Downloadable Spreadsheet; (d) you do not remove or obscure any copyright, trademark, or other notices on the Downloadable Spreadsheet; and (e) if any third party requests a copy of the Downloadable Spreadsheet, you direct such third party to access and download the Downloadable Spreadsheet directly from this Site.  Any work that you create using a Downloadable Spreadsheet  (such as a policy, publication, or presentation) must (1) disclose if you made any modifications to the data in any cells and clearly state that you are solely responsible for such modifications and (2) include an attribution stating that you used a model provided by PCORI and a link to PCORI’s website.

Permission Required for Other Uses: Except as expressly provided in these Terms of Use, you may not use, modify, download, reproduce, display, or distribute any Materials without the prior written consent of PCORI (where PCORI is the copyright owner of the Materials) or the applicable third party copyright owner (where a third party is the copyright owner of the Materials). To request such consent, please reach out to [email protected] for PCORI-owned Materials and directly to the applicable third party copyright owner for other Materials.

2. Linking

PCORI encourages and permits links to Materials on this Site provided that (a) such links are text only and are clearly marked “Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute” and (b) the appearance, position, and other aspects of the link does not create the false appearance that PCORI is associated with or sponsors or endorses another entity.

3. Submissions

Certain features of this Site enable you to post, store, transmit, and/or submit information, materials, comments, and other content (collectively, “Submissions”).  Except to the extent governed by Other Terms and Conditions, by posting, storing, transmitting, and/or submitting any Submission, you automatically grant to PCORI a royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable, transferable, worldwide, non-exclusive right and license (with the right to sublicense) to adopt, publish, reproduce, disseminate, transmit, distribute, copy, display, use, create derivative works, modify, edit, or act on such Submission (in each case, in whole or in part) without additional approval or consideration, in any form, media, or technology now known or later developed for any purpose.

You represent that (a) all Submissions are true, accurate, and complete to the best of your knowledge and belief and (b) you have all requisite rights to, and are authorized to disclose, all of the information contained in a Submission.  You acknowledge that you are fully responsible for any Submission you make and for the legality, reliability, appropriateness, and originality thereof.  PCORI may refuse to post, or may remove at any time, any Submission submitted for posting on this Site for any reason.

PCORI has no liability for the deletion of, or failure to store, any Submissions. You are responsible for backing-up and keeping copies of your Submissions.

4. Code of Conduct

You agree to comply with all laws, regulations, and policies applicable to your access to and use of this Site and the Materials.  Furthermore, you agree to use this Site and the Materials only for purposes that are consistent with PCORI’s mission and authorizing law.  You agree not to do the following:

1. Restrict or inhibit any other user from using and enjoying this Site. This includes, without limitation: (a) using, or attempting to use, any account without the owner’s permission; or (b) obtaining or soliciting another person’s password or other personal information under false pretenses.
2. Impersonate any person or entity or falsely state or otherwise represent your identity or affiliation with a person or entity.
3. Interfere (or attempt to interfere) with the operation of this Site. This includes, without limitation, (a) interfering with, defeating, or circumventing any security function of this Site, or attempting to do so; (b) accessing, or attempting to access, any portion of this Site that you are not authorized to access; or (c) imposing an unreasonable or disproportionately large load on this Site.
4. Use any “page scrape,” “robot,” “spider,” or other automatic device, program, script, algorithm or methodology, or any similar or equivalent manual process, to access, acquire, copy, or monitor any portion of this Site.
5. Post, store, transmit, or submit any Submissions that include any content that (a) infringes upon, misappropriates, or violates another person’s copyrights, privacy or publicity rights, or other intellectual property rights; (b) is unlawful, threatening, hateful, harassing, libelous, defamatory, obscene, inflammatory, pornographic, profane, or otherwise objectionable or offensive (as determined by PCORI); (c) is false, misleading, fraudulent, or inaccurate or contains gross exaggerations or unsubstantiated claims; (d) could constitute or encourage conduct that would be considered a criminal offense, give rise to civil liability, or otherwise violate any law; (e) advertises, promotes, or solicits goods or services for commercial purposes; or (f) contains a virus, worm, Trojan horse, malware, adware or other harmful or disruptive device or component.
6. Misuse any e‑mail or sharing functions available on or through this Site.
7. Use this Site to harvest or collect e-mail addresses or other contact information for purposes of sending unsolicited commercial email, bulk-emails, or emails where the sender’s e-mail address is not disclosed.
8. Modify, adapt, sublicense, translate, resell, retransmit, reverse engineer, decompile, or disassemble any Materials or any portion of this Site.
9. Use this Site or any Materials for any unlawful purposes.
10. Use this Site or any Materials for any commercial purposes.  For purposes of clarity, a commercial entity may access and use this Site and the Materials, but this Site and the Materials may not be commercialized (i.e., sold or otherwise made accessible for a fee)). 
11. Sell, resell, rent, or lease access to any Materials or any portion of this Site; include any Materials or any portion of this Site in a service bureau or outsourcing offering except as otherwise permitted in these Terms of Use; or access any Materials or portion of this Site in order to build a competitive product or service.
12. Frame or mirror any Materials or portion of this Site.

When using any Materials, you may not (a) state or imply that PCORI is endorsing you, your viewpoints, your research/conclusions, or any of the products or services that you or your organization may provide or (b) represent that you or your organization has a relationship with PCORI unless that relationship is the subject of a written agreement that has been signed by PCORI.

5. Monitoring

PCORI has the right, but not the obligation, to monitor Submissions and use of this Site to improve its performance, satisfy legal and regulatory requirements, and evaluate compliance with these Terms of Use and other applicable policies. Your Submissions and any information obtained by PCORI by monitoring this Site are subject to review by law enforcement organizations in connection with the investigation or prosecution of possible criminal activity. Actual or attempted unauthorized use of this Site may result in criminal and/or civil prosecution.

6. Security; Passwords

While PCORI has endeavored to create a secure and reliable Site, please be advised that the confidentiality of any communication or material transmitted to/from this Site over the Internet cannot be guaranteed. Accordingly, PCORI is not responsible for the security of any information transmitted via the Internet. You assume the sole and complete risk for using this Site. You may be required to create an account with a username and password to access and use certain portions of this Site.  You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of any username and password, and you will be responsible for all activities that occur under your username and password.  PCORI will not be liable for any loss or damage arising from the unauthorized use of your username or password.  You are required to notify PCORI immediately of any known or suspected unauthorized use of your account or password and take reasonable steps to stop such use.

7. Termination

PCORI reserves the right at any time and for any reason to limit, suspend, or terminate your access to and use of this Site (or any portion thereof) without notice or liability.   You are responsible for keeping copies of all your Submissions for which you want to ensure access. Discontinuation of use of this Site is your sole right and remedy for any dissatisfaction with this Site or any Materials.

8. Limitation of Service; Changes

PCORI reserves the right to limit, in its sole discretion, the availability of this Site and/or any Materials to any person, geographic area, or jurisdiction it so desires. PCORI may change this Site and revise, add, or remove any Materials at any time.

9. Intellectual Property Rights; Use of PCORI Trademarks

PCORI owns or licenses the Materials on this Site.  All Materials contained on this Site, unless otherwise indicated, are protected by law including, but not limited to, United States copyright and trademark law, as well as other state, national, and international laws, regulations, and treaties. Except as expressly provided herein, PCORI does not grant any express or implied right to you. PATIENT-CENTERED OUTCOMES RESEARCH INSTITUTE, PCORI, PCORnet, the PCORI logo and the PCORnet logo, and all other names, trademarks, service marks, and logos identifying PCORI and its services are proprietary marks of PCORI.  Except as set forth in these Terms of Use, nothing in these Terms of Use grants you any right to use any trademark, service mark, and/or logo of PCORI.  If you desire to otherwise use any trademark, service mark, and/or logo of PCORI, please see Guidelines for Use of the PCORnet Name and Logos and/or Guidelines for Use of PCORI Names and Logos ).  These guidelines grant permission for certain uses of PCORI’s trademarks, service marks, and logos, provided that such uses are in accordance with the applicable guidelines. 

10. Digital Millennium Copyright Act

The Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998 (the “DMCA”) provides recourse for copyright owners who believe that material appearing on the Internet infringes their rights under U.S. copyright law. PCORI reserves the right to remove any material on this Site which allegedly infringes another person’s copyright. Notices to PCORI regarding any alleged copyright infringement on this Site should be directed to:

Office of the General Counsel
Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute
1333 New Hampshire Ave. NW, Ste 1200,
Washington, DC 20036
E-mail: [email protected]

11. Privacy Policy

For information about our privacy practices, please see PCORI’s Privacy Policy. By accessing and using this Site, you consent to the information collection and use practices described in the Privacy Policy.

12. Other Terms and Conditions

Additional notices, policies, terms, and conditions may apply to certain content, features, activities, and services on this Site and certain portions of this Site (“Other Terms and Conditions”).  For example, if you are applying for research funding, you will be bound by the Other Terms and Conditions set forth in PCORI’s Contract for Funded Research Projects and, if you are contributing to the blog on this Site, you must comply with the Other Terms and Conditions set forth in The PCORI Blog  - Comment Policy. All Other Terms and Conditions are made a part of these Terms of Use by this reference.  If there is a conflict between the terms in these Terms of Use and the terms in any Other Terms and Conditions, the latter terms shall control with respect to your use of such content, features, activities, and services or portion of this Site applicable to such Other Terms and Conditions. 

13. Third-Party Content

Some content available on this Site is provided by third parties.  Opinions in such content are the opinions of the third party who provided such content.  PCORI does not endorse the third party provider or make any guarantees with respect to the accuracy or reliability of the information and data in such content. 

14. Third-Party Websites

PCORI may provide links, in its sole discretion, to other websites for your convenience. These websites have not necessarily been reviewed by PCORI and are maintained by third parties over which PCORI exercises no control. The terms of use and privacy policies of third-party websites may be different from those of this Site, and you are responsible for reviewing the terms of use and privacy policies of third-party websites.  PCORI does not endorse any third party provider or make any guarantees with respect to the content, products, services, or materials available on or through any third-party website.  Use of third‑party websites is entirely at your own risk, and PCORI will have no liability in connection with your access to or use of any third-party website.  PCORI MAKES NO WARRANTY OF ANY KIND IN CONNECTION WITH ANY THIRD‑PARTY WEBSITE OR ANY CONTENT, PRODUCTS, SERVICES, OR MATERIALS AVAILABLE ON OR THROUGH ANY THIRD‑PARTY WEBSITE.  

15. Medical Disclaimer

The Materials are made accessible on this Site for informational purposes only.  PCORI does not recommend or endorse any specific tests, health care providers, products, services, procedures, methods, or other information that may be mentioned in the Materials. PCORI is not responsible nor liable for any advice, course of treatment, or diagnosis based on the information in any Materials.  The Materials are not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.  Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition, and never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read in any Materials. Medical professionals are encouraged to use the information in the Materials in conjunction with, and not as a replacement for, their best clinical judgment.  The information may not be relevant or applicable to all situations and decisions to apply any information in the Materials must be made in light of individual facts and specific circumstances.

16. Disclaimer of Warranty

Use of this Site is entirely at your own risk and is subject to all applicable state, national and international laws and regulations.  THIS SITE AND ALL MATERIALS ON OR THROUGH THIS SITE ARE PROVIDED “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE” WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE, OR NON‑INFRINGEMENT.  The foregoing exclusions of implied warranties do not apply to the extent prohibited by applicable law. PCORI does not warrant (a) that the use of this Site will be uninterrupted or error-free; (b) that the Materials are or will be accurate, current, complete, reliable, or of any particular value or quality; (c) that defects in this Site or in the Materials will be corrected or that this Site or the Materials will be updated; or (d) that this Site or the Materials are free of viruses, worms, Trojan horses, malware, adware, or other harmful or disruptive devices or components.

17. Limitation of Liability

PCORI AND ITS LICENSORS AND SERVICE PROVIDERS SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, INDIRECT, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, WHETHER UNDER ANY CONTRACT, NEGLIGENCE, TORT, STRICT LIABILITY OR OTHER THEORY, ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH: (A) YOUR ACCESS TO OR USE OF THIS SITE; (B) YOUR SUBMISSIONS; (C) ANY MATERIALS AVAILABLE ON OR THROUGH THIS SITE; (D) ANY BREACHES OF SECURITY INVOLVING THIS SITE OR YOUR ACCOUNT, OR ANY LACK OF AVAILABILITY OR OPERATIONAL PROBLEM OF THIS SITE; OR (E) ANY VIRUSES OR OTHER CODE THAT MAY AFFECT YOUR COMPUTER EQUIPMENT OR OTHER PROPERTY AS A RESULT OF YOUR USE OF THIS SITE. WITHOUT LIMITING ANY OF THE FOREGOING, If PCORI is found liable to you as a result of any claims or matters arising under or in connection with these Terms of Use, this Site, the Materials, or your access to or use of this Site, PCORI’S maximum liability for all such claims and other matters will not exceed ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS ($100) IN ANY CALENDAR YEAR. Some jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion or limitation of liability for certain damages. In such jurisdictions, our liability is limited to the greatest extent permitted by law.

18. Indemnification

You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless PCORI and all of its employees, agents, directors, officers, partners, representatives, agents, predecessors, successors, and assigns, from and against any and all claims, demands, suits, or other proceedings, and all damages, injuries, liabilities, losses, costs, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees and litigation expenses) relating thereto, arising from (a) your access to or use of this Site or any Materials, (b) any breach by you of these Terms of Use, (c) your Submissions, or (d) any other matter for which you are responsible hereunder or under law.  We reserve, and you grant to us, the right to assume the exclusive defense and control of any matter subject to indemnification by you, in which event you will fully cooperate with PCORI. 

19. Waiver

Failure to insist on strict performance of any of these Terms of Use will not operate as a waiver of any subsequent default or failure of performance. No waiver by PCORI of any right under these Terms of Use will be deemed to be either a waiver of any other right or provision or a waiver of that same right or provision at any other time.

20. Governing Law & Dispute Resolution

Any disputes arising in connection with these Terms of Use shall be resolved by binding arbitration in the District of Columbia by a single arbitrator under the Commercial Arbitration Rules of the American Arbitration Association. The award shall be enforceable in any court having jurisdiction thereof. The validity, construction, and performance of these Terms of Use shall be construed in accordance with the laws of the District of Columbia. This Site is controlled and operated by PCORI from its offices within the United States. PCORI makes no representation that any Materials on this Site are appropriate or available for use in other locations. If you choose to access this Site from other locations, you do so on your own volition and are responsible for compliance with any applicable local laws.

21. Severability

If any part of these Terms of Use is determined to be invalid or unenforceable pursuant to applicable law including, but not limited to, the warranty disclaimers and the liability limitations set forth above, then the invalid or unenforceable provision will be deemed superseded by a valid, enforceable provision that most clearly matches the intent of the original provision and the remainder of these Terms of Use shall continue in effect.

22. No Agency

No joint venture, partnership, employment, or agency relationship exists between you and PCORI as a result of these Terms of Use or your utilization of this Site.

23. Entire Agreement/Reservation of Rights

These Terms of Use, together with any Other Terms and Conditions, represent the entire agreement between you and PCORI with respect to your access to and use of this Site and Materials available on or through this Site and supersedes all prior or contemporaneous communications and proposals, whether electronic, oral, or written between you and PCORI with respect to this Site. Any rights not expressly granted herein are reserved.