A learning system to boost organ donation and strengthen community ties
Official title: A Learning Health System to increase organ donation and promote community engagement
Funded at Hennepin Healthcare Research Institute · NIH-11396413 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A nationwide effort using a learning health system to help more people donate organs and to reduce disparities in who gets transplants.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Hennepin Healthcare Research Institute NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Minneapolis, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2023 |
| Project end | May 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $180,526 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DK137159-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11396413 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Community members and patients facing organ failure, particularly within Native American and minority populations, and their families.
✕Less likely to help
Individuals not involved in organ donation or transplantation decisions may not directly benefit.
What this research studies
This project aims to connect organ procurement organizations with communities to test and improve strategies that increase organ donation, especially among Native Americans and other minority groups. It uses embedded research and data from practice to continuously refine interventions in real-world settings. The goal is to turn lessons learned locally into scalable, evidence-based approaches that can be used across the U.S.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, more eligible patients could receive transplants and waitlist disparities may decrease.
How similar studies have gone: Past efforts increased awareness but have not consistently raised waitlist or transplant rates nationwide; this approach tests a scalable, data-driven cycle of improvement.
Where this research is happening
-
Hennepin Healthcare Research Institute
Minneapolis, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Schaffhausen, Cory R — Hennepin Healthcare Research Institute
- Study coordinator: Schaffhausen, Cory R
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.