February 16, 2024
Authors: Jill Harrison PhD, Susan L. Mitchell MD, MPH, Ellen P. McCarthy PhD, MPH, Vincent Mor PhD
Background: In a special issue of the Journal of the American Geriatric Society (JAGS) Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the National Institute on Aging, the authors describe the genesis of the NIA IMPACT Collaboratory as a part of the NIA’s response to a U.S. Congressional charge to identify effective and comprehensive programs to meet the urgent and complex public health needs of Americans impacted by Alzheimer’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease-related dementias (AD/ADRD).
Building on the foundations for conducting Embedded Pragmatic Clinical Trials (ePCTs) laid by the NIH Pragmatic Trials Collaboratory, the mission of the IMPACT Collaboratory is to build the nation’s capacity to conduct ePCTs of non-drug interventions for people living with dementia and their care partners. The first Collaboratory of its kind to focus solely on dementia, the IMPACT Collaboratory achieves its mission by supporting the implementation of ePCTs, developing and disseminating information resources, building investigator capacity, and catalyzing partnerships. Since its inception in 2019, the IMPACT Collaboratory has established and operationalized a national infrastructure that has funded 30 project and 24 training grants through national competitions. It has also created an innovative scientific consultation program for investigators by experts from its Scientific Cores, developed robust training opportunities and resources, established real world data infrastructures, and integrated health equity throughout its activities.