NIA IMPACT Collaboratory

February 10, 2021: New Funding Opportunities Support Investigators at All Levels in Advancing Pragmatic Clinical Research

Posted on by Damon Seils

Logo for the NIA IMPACT CollaboratoryThe NIA IMPACT Collaboratory has announced 3 new funding opportunities for researchers at all levels who are interested in pragmatic clinical trials embedded in healthcare systems (ePCTs). They include funding for NIH Collaboratory Trials, a new scholars program for junior and senior investigators, and a new cycle of funding for 1-year pilot studies.

  • NIH Collaboratory Trials Program: The IMPACT Collaboratory will fund up to 2 NIH Collaboratory Trials designed as full-scale ePCTs that test nonpharmacological interventions for people living with Alzheimer disease and related dementias (ADRD) and their care partners. The projects should generate evidence on effective care delivery practices that can be expanded or implemented in other healthcare systems. An informational webinar will be held on Thursday, February 11, at 2:00 pm ET.
  • Health Care System Scholars Program – A new Health Care Systems Embedded Research Scholars Program offers junior and senior investigators an opportunity to work directly with healthcare systems interested in improving the care provided to people living with dementia and their care partners. A informational webinar will be held on Thursday, February 11, at 1:00 pm ET.
  • Pilot Grants Program: One-year pilot studies are meant to generate preliminary data necessary to design and conduct future full-scale ePCTs. The IMPACT Collaboratory will consider applications for pilot studies that test nonpharmacological interventions embedded in healthcare system for people living with ADRD and their care partners. An informational webinar will be held on Monday, February 22, at 4:00 pm ET.

The NIA IMPACT Collaboratory is supported by a grant from the National Institute on Aging. Its mission is to advance care for persons with dementia and their caregivers in real-world settings by building national capacity to conduct pragmatic clinical trials that test interventions embedded in healthcare systems.

January 21, 2021: NIA IMPACT Collaboratory to Issue New Funding Opportunity for Pragmatic Trials

Posted on by Damon Seils

Logo for the NIA IMPACT CollaboratoryThe NIA IMPACT Collaboratory has announced that it will publish a request for applications for large-scale pragmatic clinical trials embedded in healthcare systems to test the effectiveness of care delivery intervention programs for people living with Alzheimer disease and related dementias and/or their care partners. The funding opportunity is expected to be announced in February.

More information from the notice of intent:

Under this mechanism, interventions must be linked to the needs of a health care system and powered to detect a significant difference in the primary outcome between trial arms. The goal of the NIH Collaboratory Trials is to generate evidence on effective care delivery practices that can be expanded and/or implemented in other systems.

The IMPACT Collaboratory will give preference to applications for NIH Collaboratory Trials that address dementia care for populations traditionally marginalized or underrepresented in clinical trials and those that promote health equity. It is anticipated that NIH Collaboratory Trials will be funded for up to $500,000 in direct costs for a maximum of 24-months.

The RFA is expected to be published in February 2021. Stay tuned for updates regarding the release of the RFA, an informational webinar and application deadline. If you have questions related to this funding opportunity, please contact IMPACTcollaboratory@hsl.harvard.edu. We will share additional details as they become available on the website at www.IMPACTcollaboratory.org.

The NIA IMPACT Collaboratory is supported by a grant from the National Institute on Aging. Its mission is to advance care for persons with dementia and their caregivers in real-world settings by building national capacity to conduct pragmatic clinical trials that test interventions embedded in healthcare systems.

 

December 21, 2020: IMPACT Collaboratory Seeks Applicants for 2021 Training Workshop

Posted on by Damon Seils

Logo for the NIA IMPACT CollaboratoryThe NIA IMPACT Collaboratory is inviting applications from early- and mid-career researchers for its first annual training workshop and retreat, “Building Skills to Conduct Embedded Pragmatic Clinical Trials for People Living with Dementia (PLWD) and Their Care Partners.” Up to 25 participants will be accepted to attend the event on April 7 and 8, 2021.

This virtual 1.5-day workshop and retreat will provide a foundation in practical aspects of designing and conducting embedded pragmatic clinical trials in Alzheimer disease and related dementias through a combination of panel discussions, small group sessions, and networking opportunities with experts in the field. Workshop modules will focus on healthcare systems, implementation science, and study design.

Read more about the event and how to apply.

The NIA IMPACT Collaboratory is supported by a grant from the National Institute on Aging. Its mission is to advance care for persons with dementia and their caregivers in real-world settings by building national capacity to conduct pragmatic clinical trials that test interventions embedded in healthcare systems.

December 14, 2020: IMPACT Collaboratory Receives Grant to Monitor Adverse Events in Nursing Homes After COVID-19 Vaccination

Posted on by Damon Seils

Logo for the NIA IMPACT CollaboratoryLongtime NIH Collaboratory researcher Dr. Vincent Mor will lead a study to identify adverse health impacts among elderly nursing home residents following COVID-19 vaccination. The study is supported by a supplemental award from the National Institute on Aging to the NIA IMPACT Collaboratory. It will be used to design an adverse event monitoring system in collaboration with Genesis HealthCare, a post-acute care provider organization with more than 350 facilities in 25 states. Read more about the award.

Dr. Mor was a co–principal investigator of the Pragmatic Trial of Video Education in Nursing Homes (PROVEN), an NIH Collaboratory Trial. He also serves as a principal investigator of the IMPACT Collaboratory.

The NIA IMPACT Collaboratory is supported by a grant from the National Institute on Aging. Its mission is to advance care for persons with dementia and their caregivers in real-world settings by building national capacity to conduct pragmatic clinical trials that test interventions embedded in healthcare systems.

October 27, 2020: NIA IMPACT Collaboratory Seeks Nominations for Lived Experience Panel

Posted on by Damon Seils

Logo for the NIA IMPACT CollaboratoryThe NIA IMPACT Collaboratory, in collaboration with the Alzheimer’s Association, is seeking nominations for its Lived Experience Panel. Panel members will provide feedback to researchers and engage in discussions about methods and strategies for studying nonpharmacological interventions to improve the quality of life of people living with dementia and their family members and caregivers.

Read more about the Lived Experience Panel, including frequently asked questions the panelist nomination form.

Participants are asked to serve for 1 year. Participation will include training regarding the goals of the Lived Experience Panel, participation in quarterly conference calls or video meetings of the panel, review of premeeting materials, and evaluation of each meeting after it has completed.

The NIA IMPACT Collaboratory is supported by a grant from the National Institute on Aging. Its mission is to advance care for persons with dementia and their caregivers in real-world settings by building national capacity to conduct pragmatic clinical trials that test interventions embedded in healthcare systems.

September 24, 2020: NIA IMPACT Collaboratory Launches Knowledge Repository and PCT Training Modules

Posted on by Damon Seils

Logo for the NIA IMPACT CollaboratoryThe NIA IMPACT Collaboratory this week announced 2 new resources to support the design and conduct of embedded pragmatic clinical trials (ePCTs) for people living with dementia and their care partners.

The IMPACT Knowledge Repository is a searchable collection of NIA IMPACT Collaboratory resources, including all publications, podcasts, grand rounds, videos, and training modules developed by the network’s members and cores.

The IMPACT Pragmatic Trials Training Modules are brief training videos produced by content experts. The first series introduces important considerations for conducting ePCTs with people living with Alzheimer disease and related dementias and their care partners.

The NIA IMPACT Collaboratory is supported by a grant from the National Institute on Aging. Its mission is to advance care for persons with dementia and their caregivers in real-world settings by building national capacity to conduct pragmatic clinical trials that test interventions embedded in healthcare systems.

August 17, 2020: NIA IMPACT Collaboratory Announces Funding Opportunity for Pilot Grants Program

Posted on by Damon Seils

NIA IMPACT Collaboratory logoThe NIA IMPACT Collaboratory is soliciting letters of intent for several 1-year pilot grant awards of up to $175,000. The awards will support pilot projects that aim to generate preliminary data for the design and conduct of full-scale embedded pragmatic clinical trials of nonpharmacologic interventions in healthcare systems for persons living with Alzheimer disease and related dementias and/or their care partners.

The request for applications is available on the NIA IMPACT Collaboratory website.

More than 5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer disease and related dementias. They are particularly vulnerable to receiving uncoordinated and poor-quality care, which contributes to adverse health outcomes and misuse of resources. The mission of the NIA IMPACT Collaboratory is to advance care for persons with dementia and their caregivers in real-world settings by building national capacity to conduct pragmatic clinical trials that test interventions embedded in healthcare systems.

Letters of intent to seek the pilot grant funding are due September 18. Optional informational webinars will be offered on August 26 and September 8 to provide additional information and answer questions of potential applicants.

June 30, 2020: Special Issue of JAGS Features NIA IMPACT Collaboratory’s Work on Embedded Pragmatic Trials and Dementia Care

Posted on by Karen Staman

Members of the National Institute on Aging (NIA) IMPACT Collaboratory (Imbedded Pragmatic Alzheimer’s Disease [AD] and AD-Related Dementias [AD/ADRD] Clinical Trials) recently contributed 10 articles to a special issue of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. The articles support the IMPACT Collaboratory’s mission to “build the nation’s capacity to conduct ePCTs within healthcare systems for people living with dementia and their caregivers.”

The NIA IMPACT Collaboratory was modeled after the NIH Collaboratory; it has Working Group Cores to help advance the mission and support pilot and NIH Collaboratory Trials. The Cores include Administration, Design and Statistics, Dissemination and Implementation, Health Care Systems, Health Equity, Patient/Caregiver Reported Outcomes, Pilot Studies, Regulation and Ethics, Stakeholder Engagement, Technical Data, and Training.

Each of the Cores contributed an article to the special issue to describe how they are working to improve the quality and effectiveness of ePCTs for people living with dementia and their care partners.

The full list of articles (below) also includes an introductory article by leadership of the NIA IMPACT Collaboratory, Drs. Susan Mitchell, Vincent Mor, Ellen McCarthy, and Jill Harrison.

  • Embedded Pragmatic Trials in Dementia Care: Realizing the Vision of the NIA IMPACT Collaboratory
  • Achieving Health Equity in Embedded Pragmatic Trials for People Living with Dementia and Their Family Caregivers
  • Building a National Program for Pilot Studies of Embedded Pragmatic Clinical Trials in Dementia Care
  • Training the Workforce to Conduct Embedded Pragmatic Clinical Trials to Improve Care for People Living with Dementia and Their Caregivers
  • Dissemination and Implementation of Evidence-Based Dementia Care Using Embedded Pragmatic Trials
  • Ethical and Regulatory Issues for Embedded Pragmatic Trials Involving People Living with Dementia
  • Transforming Dementia Care Through Pragmatic Clinical Trials Embedded in Learning Healthcare Systems
  • Using Healthcare Data in Embedded Pragmatic Clinical Trials among People Living with Dementia and Their Caregivers: State of the Art
  • Selecting Outcomes to Ensure Pragmatic Trials Are Relevant to People Living with Dementia
  • Engaging Stakeholders in the Design and Conduct of Embedded Pragmatic Clinical Trials for Alzheimer’s Disease and Alzheimer’s Disease–Related Dementias
  • Statistical Considerations for Embedded Pragmatic Clinical Trials in People Living with Dementia

Drs. Mitchell and Mor are also co–principal investigators of the Pragmatic Trial of Video Education in Nursing Homes (PROVEN), an NIH Collaboratory Trial. See the Living Textbook for more on the NIH Collaboratory Core Working Groups and NIH Collaboratory Trials.

June 8, 2020: NIA IMPACT Collaboratory to Host Special Grand Rounds on Pragmatic Responses to COVID-19 in Healthcare Systems

Posted on by Damon Seils

The NIA IMPACT Collaboratory will host a special edition of its Grand Rounds series to address pragmatic responses to the COVID-19 crisis among older adults in healthcare systems.

Dr. Lewis Lipsitz of Harvard Medical School and Drs. James Randolph and Elizabeth White of Brown University will present “COVID-19 Among Older Persons in Health Care Systems: Pragmatic Responses to the Crisis.” The NIA IMPACT Collaboratory is a national network of pragmatic clinical trials researchers advancing care for persons with dementia and their caregivers.

This free webinar will be held on Thursday, June 11, at 12:00 pm ET. Join the online meeting.

The NIA IMPACT Collaboratory is funded by a grant from the National Institute on Aging.

April 29, 2020: New ePCT Funding Opportunities Available From the NIA IMPACT Collaboratory

Posted on by Damon Seils

The NIA IMPACT Collaboratory has announced 2 new funding opportunities to support embedded pragmatic clinical trials (ePCTs) of nonpharmacological interventions within healthcare systems to improve the care of people living with Alzheimer disease and related dementias and their care partners. Applications that address dementia care for people of all backgrounds and that promote health equity are a high priority.

  • Career Development Awards: The NIA IMPACT Collaboratory funds 2 to 3 career development awards annually. These awards support the development of early-stage investigators who seek careers conducting ePCTs. Optional informational webinars on April 29 and May 20 will provide prospective applicants with an overview of application details. The webinars will be recorded and posted online. Read the full funding opportunity description.
  • Pilot Studies: The NIA IMPACT Collaboratory funds several 1-year pilot studies annually to support the generation of preliminary data necessary to design and conduct a full-scale ePCTs. In response to the COVID-19 public health emergency, this cycle of awards will prioritize applications that propose pilot ePCTs of telemedicine, telehealth, and remote technologies interventions. An optional informational webinar on May 6 will provide prospective applicants with an overview of application details. Read the full funding opportunity description.

The NIA IMPACT Collaboratory is supported by a grant from the National Institute on Aging.