Community learning system to boost organ donation and engagement
Official title: A Learning Health System to increase organ donation and promote community engagement
Funded at Hennepin Healthcare Research Institute · NIH-11128755 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project builds a community-linked learning system to increase organ donation and support Native American and other minority communities facing transplant shortages.
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 | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $180,494 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DK137159-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11128755 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants are members of Native American and other underrepresented communities, local families, community organizations, and residents in areas served by participating OPOs.
✕Less likely to help
People who live outside the service areas of participating OPOs or who do not take part in the outreach and engagement activities are unlikely to see direct benefits from this project.
What this research studies
You and your community could be invited to join outreach and education efforts run with local Organ Procurement Organizations (OPOs) that have strong community ties. The team will embed research into routine practice so OPOs can try interventions like the TalkDonation campaign, collect local results, and quickly share what works. Data from local outcomes will create a feedback loop so interventions can be adjusted and scaled across regions. The aim is to use community partnerships and continuous learning to reduce disparities in who becomes an organ donor and who receives transplants.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, more organs could become available and transplant access disparities for Native American and other minority communities may shrink.
How similar studies have gone: Local campaigns like TalkDonation have shown promise in pilot work, but national waitlist and transplant rates have not improved, so this learning-system approach is a newer strategy to scale what works.
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
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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.