Program Overview and Rationale

The National Institute on Aging (NIA) Imbedded Pragmatic Alzheimer’s Disease and Alzheimer’s Disease-Related Dementias (AD/ADRD) Clinical Trials (IMPACT) Collaboratory (U54AG063546) was established in 2019 to build the nation’s capacity to conduct embedded pragmatic clinical trials of non-pharmacologic interventions within healthcare systems (HCS) to improve the care of people living with AD/ADRD and their care partners.

Conducting ePCTs in AD/ADRD within HCS requires unique research skills, yet the field is relatively nascent. The number of investigators capable of rigorously designing and executing ePCTs in partnership with HCS and other key stakeholders remains limited, and those that have intersecting expertise in AD/ADRD populations are even fewer. Thus, a critical objective of the IMPACT Collaboratory is to build the nation’s capacity to conduct impactful ePCTs in AD/ADRD by training a workforce of investigators prepared to carry on this work well into the future.

Funding Opportunity Description

The IMPACT Collaboratory funds up to four career development awards (CDAs) annually. These CDAs seek to support the development of early-stage MD, PhD, or equivalent researchers who seek careers conducting ePCTs for people living with AD/ADRD and their care partners. The IMPACT Collaboratory prioritizes applications that address dementia care for people of all backgrounds and promote health equity.

CDA applicants must:

• Be no more than 7 years out of their post-doctoral training program at the time of application. With prior approval, rare exceptions may be made for investigators more than 7 years from postdoctoral training who are seeking to change their career path to pursue research on ePCTs among PLWD.
• Demonstrate a commitment to pursuing a career in conducting ePCTs for PLWD and their care partners. This is best demonstrated by current or prior training, clinical work, publications, or research projects focused on improving care for PLWD and their care partners.
• Demonstrate basic training (post-graduate) in fundamental clinical research methods and have completed training in the ethical conduct of clinical research.
• Provide evidence of prior research productivity in seeking to improve ou tcomes of PLWD.
• Identify a mentoring team that includes expertise in: (a) conducting ePCTs for PLWD and their care partners; (b) organizational change within healthcare systems; and (c) professional development of clinical researchers.
• Describe a two-year training plan in collaboration with their mentoring team focused on training in the conduct of ePCTs for PLWD and their care partners.
• Propose a research project focused on: (a) building competency and experience in ePCTs among PLWD; and (b) generating preliminary, publishable data that will build a foundation for ongoing research focusing on ePCTs for PLWD. Projects may employ a variety of research methods, such as primary or secondary data analysis, intervention development, outcome measure development, feasibility of implementation, pilot ePCTs, or qualitative methods.
• Exceptional candidates with also demonstrate access to, and collaboration with, organizational leadership within a targeted HCS. This may be demonstrated by a current or planned relationship with health system leadership at the site where the research will be conducted or other evidence of engagement with heath system leadership.
• Attend the annual 2-day IMPACT Collaboratory national Training Workshop and Retreat with your mentor in both years of the CDA, which will be held in scheduled for April 2022. When available, these dates can be found at https://impactcollaboratory.org/cda/.
• Participate in quarterly mentoring meetings with one or more representatives from the IMPACT Collaboratory Core Groups and Teams in addition to regular meetings with their local mentor(s).

Read full details on the Career Development Award Program here: https://impactcollaboratory.org/cda/