ONWARD: Helping teens and young adults with prediabetes and type 2 diabetes get the resources they need
Official title: ONWARD: Optimizing Navigation for Wellness And Resource utilization in youth with prediabetes and type 2 Diabetes
Funded at University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh · NIH-11416347 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A study tests easy, in-clinic and post-visit resource help for teens and young adults with type 2 diabetes to address social needs that affect their health.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Pittsburgh, United States) |
| Project start | September 13, 2025 |
| Project end | July 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $644,443 |
| NIH project number | 4R01DK142766-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11416347 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants are adolescents and young adults with type 2 diabetes and their caregivers who receive care at the recruiting site and disclose social needs.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without access or willingness to engage with resource-based support may see no benefit from this specific intervention.
What this research studies
This project focuses on youth and young adults with type 2 diabetes who face social challenges like food insecurity, housing instability, and transportation barriers. It will pilot two ways to provide resources: tailored in-clinic support based on each family’s needs or a universal approach shared with all families, plus different options for linking families to resources after visits. Families will participate in a randomized 2x2 factorial trial with 52 participants and their caregivers to see what is acceptable, feasible, and faithful to the protocol, and to observe early health outcomes related to social needs and diabetes. The goal is to identify practical strategies that clinics can use to connect patients to help outside of medical care. Outcomes will guide future larger studies and inform how to integrate social care with diabetes management for AYA patients.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the intervention could make it easier for adolescents and young adults with type 2 diabetes to get social resources, potentially improving diabetes control and overall well-being.
How similar studies have gone: Previous pediatric settings show benefits when addressing social determinants of health, but this specific in-clinic plus post-visit resource linkage approach in AYA T2D is novel.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Vajravelu, Mary Ellen — University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh
- Study coordinator: Vajravelu, Mary Ellen
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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.