PROJECT ABSTRACT Many minoritized populations, such as older adults from Black/African American, Latinx/a/o, and socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds, are disproportionately affected by Alzheimer's Disease and Alzheimer's Disease Related Dementias (AD/ADRDs). Yet, these populations are chronically under-included in research, which has serious scientific and ethical ramifications and is a priority outlined in National Strategy for Recruitment and Participation in Alzheimer’s Disease Clinical Research. This highlights an urgent need for novel research inclusion efforts. Therefore, the overall goal of this K01 Mentored Research Scientist Career Development proposal is to address this critical need by providing Dr. Miriam Ashford with protected time to obtain necessary training and research skills to become an independent scientist who develops novel theory- driven, community-engaged initiatives to improve the inclusion of minoritized older adults into AD/ADRD research. The short-term research goal is to develop and evaluate novel digital research inclusion efforts which consider the intersection of ethnocultural identity (Black/African American & Latinx/a/o) and education background (operationalized as years of education). This project will be implemented in partnership with two existing Community Science Partnership Boards. The development of the inclusion efforts (messaging & design) will be informed by a behavior change theory (Reasoned Action Approach). A sequential mixed-method design will be applied as follows: In Aim 1, a quantitative cross-sectional survey will be developed and administered among older Black/African American and Latinx/a/o adults to identify theory-based factors (based on the Reasoned Action Approach) associated with greater intention to participate in different AD/ADRD research settings (remote online assessment, remote blood biomarker collection, and in-clinic observational), and to elucidate the role of intersectionality to intentions. In Aim 2, preliminary inclusion efforts will be created together with the Community Science Partnership Boards and informed by findings from Aim 1. The acceptability of the preliminary efforts will be iteratively evaluated and refined using qualitative focus groups with older Black/African American and Latinx/a/o adults. In Aim 3, the efforts developed in Aim 2 will be piloted to facilitate enrollment in two AD/ADRD studies with on-going digital recruitment: the Brain Health Registry and the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative-4. Findings from this research will provide preliminary data for an R01 application to evaluate the piloted digital inclusion efforts using a randomized experimental approach in Brain Health Registry, Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative, and additional AD/ADRD clinical studies. To accomplish these Aims and Dr. Ashford’s goal of becoming an independent researcher, she will engage in the following training supported by a multidisciplinary expert mentorship team: 1) community-engaged and intersectionality research, 2) clinical and remote culturally-informed AD/ADRD assessment, 3) communication for behavior change, 4) mixed-methods research, and 5) professional development for research independence.

PROJECT NARRATIVE Considering that many older adults from minoritized populations (e.g., Black/African American and Latinx/a/o, and socioeconomically disadvantaged adults) are disproportionally affected by Alzheimer's Disease and Alzheimer's Disease Related Dementias (AD/ADRD), it is critical to facilitate their representation in AD/ADRD research. The development and evaluation of efforts to increase the inclusion of minoritized populations in AD/ADRD research needs to be theory-based, informed by the respective community members, and consider intersecting social positions of populations. The training and research proposed by this K01 Mentored Research Scientist Career Development project will facilitate the development of evidence-based, community-engaged digital research inclusion efforts, which consider the intersection of ethnocultural identity and education in Black/African American and Latinx/a/o older adults, which is an important step in improving their representation in AD/ADRD research.