Research & Education
Original Research & Educational Programs
The Delta Research and Educational Foundation (DREF) has partnered with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) All of Us Research Program.
Research Matters: Creating Possibilities to Achieve Health and Wellness for All of Us
The All of Us mission is to accelerate health research and medical breakthroughs, enabling individualized prevention, treatment, and care for all of us. The 2025 – 26 fiscal year marks the ninth year that Delta Research and Educational Foundation (DREF) has been selected by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for the health initiative, Research Matters for All of Us Program. The NIH has awarded funding to DREF to focus on community engagement, empowerment, research, and enrollment. DREF is leading the national effort to educate African Americans about the significant role biomedical research plays in addressing health disparities.
Read Our 2024 – 2025 Annual Report
DREF at All of Us national launch in Kansas City, MO.
Through work with the All of Us Research Program, DREF aims to encourage the participation of African Americans in clinical trials and biomedical research, thus creating a database primarily comprised of diverse and traditionally underrepresented populations. Together, we can be a part of the solution for achieving increased health and wellness for our families.
Institutional Research Liaisons & Student Mentoring Program
The Institutional Research Liaisons are a group of researchers located at colleges and universities around the nation, who are utilizing the All of Us Researcher Workbench to expand researcher access to students, faculty, and staff, inside and out of the classroom. The newly established researcher & student mentoring program works to establish partnerships with DURA holding institutions to support the completion of projects using the Researcher Workbench.
Program Goals:
- Increase the number of college and university researchers utilizing the Researcher Workbench
- Enable active use of the Researcher Workbench by establishing a student research mentoring program, focusing on projects that use the workbench
- Provide researchers with data analysis support, research project resources and curriculum integration
- Facilitate on campus training for All of Us certified researchers at institutions
- Assist institutions in establishing DURAs
Facilitated Enrollment
DREF was approved for facilitated enrollment in 2024, during our eighth year as an engagement partner. As a recently established enrollment partner, DREF is working to increase the number of individuals enrolled in the All of Us Research Program through the implementation of outreach initiatives to engage, enroll and retain participants. These efforts are in collaboration with community and national partners in major cities and rural areas, to access communities historically left out of biomedical research.
Current Targeted Cities:
- Atlanta, GA
- Boston, MA
- Chicago, IL
- Detroit, MI
- Jackson, MS
- Miami, FL
- New Orleans, LA
Citywide Coordinator Network
The Citywide Coordinators (CWC) aim to increase community engagement and enrollment by hosting events in seven (7) of the NIH designated cities to educate African Americans on the All of Us Research Program as well as facilitate participant enrollment through HPOs and DV sites.
Current Cities Served:
- Atlanta, GA
- Boston, MA
- Chicago, IL
- Detroit, MI
- Jackson, MS
- Miami, FL
- New Orleans, LA
DREF Research Working Group 
The DREF Research Working Group is composed of 9 members of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. who are healthcare providers, health equity advocates, professors, researchers, and scientists whose mission is to educate researchers, analyze data and impact outcomes through strategic outreach.
Cohort 4 Pillars:
- Outreach and Engagement
- Education
- Researcher Workbench
- Information Technology and Program Evaluation
The DREF Research Working Group connects with researchers nationwide to offer educational sessions on health topics that impact the Black community and illuminate the value of utilizing the All of Us Researcher Workbench.
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To learn more about this program, visit: www.joinallofus.org/dref
Email: ResearchMatters@deltafoundation.net
Rev. Kay Williams Dawson, DMin. Program Manager
Cheryl M.Thomas, CPA, Principal Investigator
Research Matters for All of Us
Delta Research and Educational Foundation (DREF)
1703 New Hampshire Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20009
Research Matters for All of Us
Delta Research and Educational Foundation (DREF)
1703 New Hampshire Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20009