Building Research Infrastructure—Supporting Research to Advance Evidence-based Clinical and Policy Innovation

Apple Tree Dental was established in 1985 as a Minnesota-based non-profit with a mission of overcoming barriers to oral health through partnerships that foster healthy communities. Supporting its core activity of delivering high-quality dental care are inter-related activities of clinical innovation, education, career equity programs, advocacy, and research. A CareQuest Institute for Oral Health grant enabled the development of resources, protocols, and data exploration tools to improve accessibility of data, effectiveness of research collaborations, and sustainability of research as an essential organizational activity. This workshop will provide an overview of how these resources were developed and demonstrate a virtual Research Collaborator Library and a Power BI data exploration tool. Reviewing a case study from a research collaborator perspective, the workshop will conclude with discussion on replicating this kind of research infrastructure and/or utilizing the resources presented by researchers seeking community-based clinical data partners.