The National Institutes of Health's All of Us precision health initiative awarded a total of $9.1 million to two organizations to improve education of and engagement with the research program's participants.
Washington, D.C.-based HCM Strategists will use its share of the funding to leverage the network of multicultural organizations and healthcare provider associations established through its Community and Provider Gateway Initiative. HCM will tap this network to incubate new approaches to community engagement, providing All of Us with feedback and recommendations regarding these approaches.
The University of Utah in Salt Lake City, meanwhile, will develop culturally sensitive engagement strategies within its Genetic Science Learning Center. The university's research team will also provide guidance on digital and provider engagement.
"These awardees bring tremendous knowledge and a proven track record in community engagement, which will be critical in the program's work to foster ongoing conversations with the public and build authentic relationships over time," said Dara Richardson-Heron, MD, chief engagement officer of the All of Us program, which aims to enroll 1 million Americans in what will be one of the world's largest and most diverse databases of biomedical information.