Bringing more health research to rural Wisconsin clinics
The Wisconsin Research and Education Network (WREN): Expanding Research Capacity in Rural Primary Care Clinics
This program helps bring clinical studies and health-improving projects to patients served by rural primary care clinics in Wisconsin.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Wisconsin-Madison NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Madison, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11376386 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
As a patient in a rural Wisconsin clinic, this program aims to increase access to clinical research and community-focused health projects where I receive care. WREN will partner with Federally Qualified Health Centers, independent rural practices, and UW Health rural clinics to expand which clinics can host studies. The hub will run regular learning-collaborative meetings to choose NIH studies, support clinic participation, and help with patient outreach and data collection. Over the two-year period the network will add new clinics and re-engage previous partners so more patients can see and join research opportunities.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are people who receive primary care at the participating rural clinics or Federally Qualified Health Centers in Western, Northern, or Southwestern Wisconsin.
Not a fit: Patients who live outside the participating rural areas or who receive care only at urban specialty centers are unlikely to benefit directly from this network expansion.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, more rural patients could have chances to join clinical trials, access new care options, and see improvements in clinic care based on research findings.
How similar studies have performed: WREN has nearly 40 years of experience and has supported hundreds of pragmatic and community-engaged trials, so this expansion builds on a proven model.
Where this research is happening
Madison, United States
- University of Wisconsin-Madison — Madison, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Schrager, Sarina B — University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Study coordinator: Schrager, Sarina B
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 below.