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 2024 – 25 fiscal year marks the eighth 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.
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.
Research Accelerates Possibilities (R.A.P.) 
The Research Accelerates Possibilities Program partners with four (4) Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) during the Fall (2024) and Spring (2025) semesters to administer a program that will educate, engage and encourage students and faculty to participate in the All of Us Research Program / Research Hub / Research Workbench.
RAP Program Goals:
- Raise Awareness about the All of Us Research Program to HBCU communities, ensuring that our program is inclusive and represents diversity within the United States
- Raise awareness about historically underrepresented populations in biomedical research
- Increase community engagement and enrollment by hosting monthly R.A.P. Sessions focused on African American health disparities
- Create awareness of the All of Us Program through interactive and educational R.A.P. Sessions to increase participation in the program
- Give HBCU communities access to complete the enrollment process.
Citywide Coordinator Network
The Citywide Coordinators (CWC) aim to increase community engagement and enrollment by hosting events in twelve (12) 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:
- Boston, MA
- Chicago, IL
- Denver, CO
- Detroit, MI
- Jackson, MS
- Miami, FL
- New Orleans, LA
The 22 Researchers Working Group 
The 22 Researchers Working Group are a twenty-two members of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. who are healthcare providers, scientists, professors, and health equity advocates who are actively researching health topics in the Black community.
Cohort 2 Accomplishments:
- Launched 4 research projects using the Workbench dataset; 2 abstracts completed and under review for national conferences
- Hosted the National Research Symposium that featured a health topic that engages diverse researchers and illustrates research projects based on the Workbench dataset
- The June 2024 Symposium was titled “Advancing Health Equity in the African American Community: Strategies for Promoting Ethical Practices and Addressing Health Inequalities”
- Hosted a 4 Lunch and Learn Webinars that shared research on health disparity topics and provided overviews of Workbench research projects
- Engaged of 25 educational institutions and 18 other collaborating organizations sharing information on the Workbench, supporting DURA and researcher registrations
Learn more on how to reserve our greatest resource – our health. Follow us on social media.
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