PCORI Comparative Study Opportunity
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The University of Minnesota School of Public Health, with funding approved by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), is partnering with USAging to conduct a comparative study of two online dementia caregiver support programs. These programs are designed to help caregivers manage behavioral symptoms associated with dementia while supporting caregiver well-being.
This five-year research study will engage Area Agencies on Aging to recruit caregivers of people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or related dementia (ADRD) to participate in one of the two caregiver programs. USAging and the University of Minnesota will provide technical assistance throughout the study period, and participating sites will receive funding to support capacity, including 0.25 FTE for one staff member for four years.
This research will help build the evidence base for widely available caregiver support platforms and generate practical, actionable information for the Aging Network. Findings from the study will support a stronger understanding of how best to serve caregivers of people living with ADRD and how online caregiver support tools can be implemented effectively in community-based settings.
Organizations interested in participating are invited to complete the Submittable application for consideration. Applications will be reviewed through a competitive selection process, and USAging aims to notify selected AAA sites in October 2026. A total of 30 sites will be selected to participate. Selected sites will receive access to one of the two dementia caregiver platforms and training from the platform developers. Sites will be assigned to one of two cohorts: the first cohort will begin caregiver recruitment in January 2027, and the second cohort will begin recruitment in July 2027.
USAging will host an informational webinar on August 20th at 2:00 pm ET to share additional details about this opportunity and answer applicant questions (register here). For questions during the application process, please contact Sara Maloney at smaloney@usaging.org.