# Catalyzing and Harmonizing Operational Innovation for Recruitment (CHOIR)

> **NIH NIH U24** · VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER · 2024 · $5,170,122

## Abstract

While recruitment into clinical research has been a longstanding challenge for NIH funded multi-site studies,
it has become clear that there is substantial variability in recruitment success across the national portfolio
caused by many factors: eligibility parameters, required procedures, compensation levels, engagement
practices, recruitment resources, skill and awareness of recruitment teams, geographic constraints, trust, and
perceived benefit/risk. Studies that do not integrate these factors into recruitment and retention often close
for poor accrual. In addition, there are now more equitable definitions of what constitutes “recruitment
success” beyond an absolute target, including: diversity, representativeness of the actual population, costs of
enrollment, retention, and time required. These complex dynamics suggest there is no ‘one size fits all’
solution, and careful attention and consideration must be a part of the recruitment plan. Our team has been
forming effective recruitment collaborations for the past 6 years -- considering the study specifics, capabilities
of the study team, and needs and values of the participant population -- to together craft feasible, effective
plans. In the next cycle, we will Catalyze and Harmonize Operational Innovation for Recruitment (CHOIR)
and will continue to be led by a long-standing synergistic partnership between Paul Harris, PhD, as PI
responsible for informatics development, and Consuelo Wilkins, MD, MSCI, as PI of community and
stakeholder engagement. Formal partnerships with 10 other CTSAs provide broad understanding of Hub
needs, along with key areas of expertise. We will extend and build upon existing recruitment-related assets
and data tools and resources already in use by our team and others (FasterTogether, ResearchMatch,
REDCap TrialsToday, FHIR clinical data-based recruitment infrastructure). These innovations acknowledge
recruitment is not a one-time activity but is a continuum. We will provide a national, disease agnostic home
for sharing recruitment tools, training, materials, and best practices for diverse populations. Specific Aims
are: 1) Partner with study teams to create study-specific recruitment plans, and support ongoing skills
development. 2) Evaluate clinical trial recruitment and retention methods and make continual improvements.
3) Enhance national clinical trial awareness through engagement and education; facilitate participant
identification of studies with online tools. And, 4) Develop and disseminate technical and procedural
approaches to catalyze enrollment in clinical trials across all CTSAs.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10888423
- **Project number:** 5U24TR004432-02
- **Recipient organization:** VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER
- **Principal Investigator:** Paul A. Harris
- **Activity code:** U24 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $5,170,122
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2023-07-14 → 2028-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10888423

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10888423, Catalyzing and Harmonizing Operational Innovation for Recruitment (CHOIR) (5U24TR004432-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10888423. Licensed CC0.

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