Research Opportunity for D2D at the 2023 Minnesota State Fair – Due Date Jan. 17
We invite faculty, students, and staff from the University of Minnesota, MinnState, other colleges & universities, and public and private institutions, to take advantage of this unique opportunity to quickly and efficiently recruit fairgoers as participants in minimal-risk, human-subjects research at the Driven to Discover Research Facility (D2D) at the Minnesota State Fair from August 24 – September 4, 2023.
D2D APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS
Apply online by Jan. 17, 2023 at this link: https://redcap.link/mgqna2p7.
You will be prompted to upload the following information as a single PDF or Word document. Please limit your submission to 1-2 pages.
Briefly describe:
1. Aims: your research goals and objectives
2. Significance: the potential impact on your field of study
3. Study design: include eligibility criteria and desired sample size
4. Data collection methods: include length of protocol with consent
5. References
PROGRAM OVERVIEW
The primary mission of D2D is to increase the pace, efficiency, and diversity of enrollment in new or ongoing human subjects research at the University, by bringing projects and researchers into closer contact with the Minnesota community. D2D provides access to 2 million fairgoers each year. Many attendees return yearly to the fair, making longitudinal studies possible. Further, the fair attracts individuals from across Minnesota and so offers an efficient means of enrolling a more diverse group of participants from outside the metropolitan area.
D2D established a presence at the 2014 fair and in 2017 a new building was constructed in order to better accommodate more research teams and fairgoers. Since then D2D annually attracts tens of thousands of visitors per year. The COVID-19 pandemic brought changes to the 2021 fair with safety precautions forcing reduced operations and a roughly 40% reduction in fair attendance. Last year’s fair saw more of a return to normal, but room for growth once again in our post-pandemic state. Overall, approximately one in every three people who enter the D2D building choose to enroll into a study.