# The Wisconsin Research and Education Network (WREN): Expanding Research Capacity in Rural Primary Care Clinics

> **NIH NIH OT2** · UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON · 2024 · $1,561,071

## Abstract

Abstract
With nearly 40 years of experience, the Wisconsin Research and Education Network (WREN) is one of
the oldest and most respected primary care practice-based research networks (PBRNs) in the US, having
been founded in 1987. WREN has conducted hundreds of clinical trials in primary care practices,
including pragmatic trials, implementation science studies, and community-engaged projects, among
others. Given our extensive experience, deep expertise, and strong relationships with rural primary care
clinics, WREN is well poised to serve as a Rural Network Research Hub. WREN is supported by the
University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW-Madison) School of Medicine and Public Health CTSA (Institute
for Clinical and Translational Research, ICTR) and is in the UW-Madison Department of Family
Medicine and Community Health. WREN is in the Meta-network Learning and Research Center (Meta-
LARC), a bi-national network of PBRNs. As a Rural Network Research Hub, WREN will partner with
two rural Federally Qualified Health Centers (each with multiple clinics) serving Western and Northern
Wisconsin, an independent practice serving Southwestern Wisconsin, and UW Health rural clinics. These
clinics have successfully worked with WREN on a variety of projects. In year 2, we will expand our
network to new rural clinics and re-engage with clinics we worked with previously. WREN will facilitate
regular meetings of the Hub clinics in a learning collaborative to assess, select, and facilitate NIH study
opportunities in their rural communities. We will develop infrastructure to support rural clinics in
implementing research and build and sustain engagement with rural communities underrepresented in
clinical research.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 11117618
- **Project number:** 1OT2OD038373-01
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON
- **Principal Investigator:** Mary Henningfield
- **Activity code:** OT2 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $1,561,071
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2024-09-23 → 2026-12-22

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/11117618

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 11117618, The Wisconsin Research and Education Network (WREN): Expanding Research Capacity in Rural Primary Care Clinics (1OT2OD038373-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/11117618. Licensed CC0.

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