Recruitment & Retention Core

Modified Project Summary/Abstract Section - Recruitment and Retention Core 8541 This proposed P01 program has the goal of creating a locus of research examining the pathways by which technology and digital media (TDM) exposure and usage impact developmental trajectories and health outcomes in adolescence. The Recruitment and Retention Core (R&R Core) of this proposal will provide the necessary support to our shared pool of participants who will contribute across all 3 Projects. The R&R Core will serve as the common channel through which all support and resources for participants occurs to ensure a successful recruitment and consistent levels of participant engagement over this longitudinal study. The R&R Core will thus provide coordination and an organizational backbone for the participant experience in this P01 program. The R&R Core of this P01 program will focus on four Specific Aims. First, the R&R Core will leverage our Recruitment Ambassadors and consultant towards recruiting a representative group of adolescent participants as our shared participant pool. Rolling recruitment will occur over years 1 and 2 of this P01 program to achieve a shared participant pool of 400 adolescents. Adolescents ages 13-15 years at enrollment will be recruited across different settings for a 2-year research study experience. We have worked with our Recruitment Ambassadors to create an initial list of recruitment opportunities that would be refined and implemented at program inception. Second, the investigators and staff will complete initial and ongoing regulatory processes including human subjects protocols. Third, the R&R Core will organize and communicate timelines relevant to each participant’s entry time point over our two-year rolling recruitment. Each participant will be scheduled for every 6-month data collection experiences and assigned to a group (Group A: n=150 participants with fMRI, Group B: n=250 participants without fMRI). And finally, the fourth aim of the R&R Core will be to retain participants for the 2-year study. We have incorporated the perspectives of Dr. Moreno’s research team’s Youth Advisory Board (YAB) into our proposed retention plans, which include incentives that incorporate internal and external motivations for serving as a research participant. We are excited about our dynamic R&R Core team, including Core Lead Dr. Selkie who brings experience recruiting and retaining early adolescents, and P01 PI Dr. Megan Moreno who brings experience retaining college students in a 5-year study. Research staff on this Core include Victoria Adkins, who has worked with Dr. Selkie the past 4 years on a longitudinal study of early adolescents. Our Recruitment Ambassadors will be valued partners in our efforts on this R&R Core. This P01 program provides the opportunity for alignment in our research efforts through a shared participant pool that all 3 Projects will draw from, and synergy by triangulation of participant data across Projects. Thus, this Core will enhance the scientific knowledge, ideas and outcomes obtained through the interactions of the R&R Core, the Admin Core and the 3 Projects.