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IMPACT Collaboratory Announcing Release of RFA for Cycle 4A of Pilot Program Funding Opportunity

Posted on by Erin Luers

The National Institute on Aging (NIA) Imbedded Pragmatic Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and AD-Related Dementias (AD/ADRD) Clinical Trials (IMPACT) Collaboratory is happy to announce a Request for Applications (RFA) for the Pilot Grants Program Cycle 4A.

In this cycle, the IMPACT Collaboratory will fund up to five 1-year awards for pilot pragmatic clinical trials (ePCTs) that test non-pharmacological interventions embedded in health care system(s) for people living with AD/ADRD and their care partners. Pilot Studies will be funded for up to $175,000 in direct costs for a maximum of 12-months. For more information, please see our Pilot Grants Program page.

The goal of the pilot projects is to generate the preliminary data necessary to design and conduct a future full-scale Stage IV effectiveness ePCT (based on the NIH Stage Model) funded through other grant mechanisms (NIH or other sources)

The IMPACT Collaboratory will consider all applications for pilot ePCTs that evaluate non-pharmacological interventions to improve the care of people living with AD/ADRD and their care partners. This grant cycle will prioritize applications for interventions in these populations that aim to:

  • Improve care through behavioral economics “nudge” interventions;
  • Reduce inequities in health care;
  • Reduce potentially inappropriate medications through de-prescribing; or
  • Improve care in emergency departments.

Informational Webinar

An optional informational webinar will be hosted to provide investigators with an overview of application details and an opportunity to ask questions. Pre-registration is required using the link below.

Monday, February 14 at 2:00 pm ET: Registration closed.

Letters of Intent (LOI) Due – Required

Interested applicants are required to submit an LOI. LOIs are accepted on a rolling basis through March 4, 2022 @ 5pm ET

Full Applications Due – By invitation only

Applications selected for further consideration will be invited to submit a full proposal due June 17, 2022 @ 5pm ET

Partnering with People Living with Dementia and Care Partners in Embedded Pragmatic Clinical Trials

Posted on by Sonya Sutton

December 2021 – Grand Rounds 22 features a panel of participants sharing their experiences in stakeholder engagement in ePCTs for people living with AD/ADRD and their care partners. Perspectives shared include that of a researcher, a stakeholder engagement expert and people living with dementia.

Download Webinar Slides

Speakers

Gary Epstein-Lubow, MD

Gary Epstein-Lubow, MD
Team Leader, IMPACT Engaging Partners Team
Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior
Associate Professor of Medical Science, Alpert Medical School of Brown University
Associate Professor of Health Services, Policy and Practice, Brown University School of Public Health

 


Heidi GilHeidi Gil
Executive Committee Member,
IMPACT Engaging Partners Team

Chief Strategy Officer, LiveWell

Learning Objectives

    • Understand the need/benefits of engaging people living with dementia and care partners in every aspect of dementia care research
    • Identify how all stakeholders can be empowered and engaged as co-partners in research
    • Explore lessons learned and resources available to conduct research differently

Podcast

 

Podcast Transcript: Download the transcript here.

Notice of Intent: IMPACT Collaboratory plans to publish 2 new Requests for Applications on January 10, 2022.

Posted on by Erin Luers

We are pleased to announce that the IMPACT Collaboratory plans to publish two Requests for Applications (RFA) on January 10, 2022. Stay tuned for more details.

Career Development Award (CDA) Program

  • CDA RFA Cycle 3
  • $100k per year in direct costs for 2 years
  • Goal: Mentored training grant for early-stage investigators to gain skills needed to conduct ePCTs for dementia care
  • Informational Webinar: Tuesday, February 1, 2022 at 2pm ET. Registration closed.
  • Learn more about CDA awardees

Health Care Systems (HCS) Scholars Program

  • HCS Scholars RFA Cycle 2
  • $120k in direct costs for 1 year
  • Goal: Embed scholars in health care systems to strengthen research partnerships to conduct ePCTs to improve dementia care
  • Informational Webinar: Thursday, January 20, 2022 at 1:15pm ET. Registration closed.
  • Learn more about HCS Scholar awardees

Goldfeld examines the design effects of cluster randomized trial and stepped wedge designs with baseline measurements in two recent blog posts

Posted on by Sonya Sutton

Keith Goldfeld, DrPH, MS, MPA of the IMPACT Design and Statistics Core, recently published two blog posts examining whether it is possible to reduce the sample size requirements of a stepped wedge cluster randomized trial by collecting baseline information.

Goldfeld explains that reducing sample size requirements is possible for randomization at the individual level and in cluster randomized trails, but he and colleagues Monica Taljaard and Fan Li, also members of the IMPACT Design and Statics Core, are exploring the question for stepped wedge designs.

The first blog post focuses on work already done to derive design effects for parallel cluster randomized trials (CRTs) that collect baseline measurements, and the second addresses the questions for stepped wedge designs.

Blog post 1 of the series:  The design effect of a cluster randomized trial with baseline measurements

Posted on November 23, 2021

In the first blog Goldfeld lays the groundwork for future posts by focusing on work already done to derive “design effects” for parallel cluster randomized trials (CRTs) that collect baseline measurements.  He shares a discussion about why baseline measurements may have impact and how they can be used to reduce required sample size in cluster randomized trials.  Goldfeld cites a paper published in 2012 by Teerenstra et al, “A simple sample size formula for analysis of covariance in cluster randomized trials” as a great foundation to understand how baseline measurements can impact sample sizes in clustered designs. He provides examples and simulations, and describes the work being done by himself fellow researchers to expand this to stepped wedge cluster randomized trials in particular.

Blog post 2 of the series: Exploring design effects of stepped wedge designs with baseline measurements

Posted on December 7, 2021

In this post, Goldfeld extends the simulations provided in the previous post to stepped wedge trials in an effort to identify and define design effects on stepped wedge designs in particular.  He concludes by sharing the code to estimate statistical power of each model reviewed under a range of sample size assumptions.