PROJECT SUMMARY – OUTREACH, RECRUITMENT, AND ENGAGEMENT CORE (OREC) The theme of the proposed New Mexico Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (NM ADRC) is to understand vascular and inflammatory contributions to Alzheimer’s disease and progressive cerebrovascular disease in un- derrepresented groups in New Mexico, most of whom are rural-dwelling elderly, Hispanic/Latino, and/or Ameri- can Indian groups. To facilitate representation of persons from these groups, traditional recruitment-focused and ad-hoc outreach activities must be replaced by intentional bidirectional engagement with community leaders and members. NM ADRC Administrative and Overall Cores recognize the need for this shift in focus, highlighting relationship-building and representation in Administrative Core Specific Aim 1 – Expand on the P20 infrastructure to establish working relationships with medically underserved and underrepresented groups across New Mexico – and Overall Core Specific Aim 1 – Recruit and retain a large cohort of individuals with cognitive disabilities, particularly those medically underserved and underrepresented groups. This new Outreach, Recruitment, and Engagement Core (OREC) will support the aims of the NM ADRC by engaging multiple levels of stakeholders from URGs to help address disparities in AD/ADRD research. Guided by prior P20 successes and evidence related to disparities in AD/ADRD research and care, the OREC will pursue four specific aims: 1) Initiate new engagement activities that identify needs and resources of multiple levels of stakeholders (people with dementia, caregivers, local community [professional, lay]) related to regional and national priorities in AD/ADRD research; 2) Participate in and conduct activities that build a “deep fund of good will” in lay communities; 3) Sustain effective ongoing outreach activities and initiate new outreach activities that are responsive to local multilevel stakeholder needs; and 4) Facilitate recruitment and retention of diverse participants at all points of the dementia spectrum into the Clinical Core and ancillary studies. The first and second aims will cultivate mutually respectful and ben- eficial relationships through giving first before any research requests, promoting sustainable programming, and listening carefully to community leaders. The third aim will create more dementia-friendly communities of care and participation while honoring the critical contributions to science by persons living with AD/ADRD and their caregivers. The fourth aim will align rigorous ADRC trial protocols with the expressed needs and comfort levels of New Mexican and tribal communities. The OREC will interact with all other NM ADRC Cores to achieve its specific aims. Accomplishing the aims above will increase the research readiness of underrepresented rural, Hispanic/Latino, and American Indian communities and, subsequently, their representation in AD/ADRD re- search. Ultimately, knowledge gained from their representation ...