Returning value to the community through the All of Us Research Program Data Sandbox model

Area of Science:

• Health Equity Research
• Biomedical Informatics
• Data Science Education

Background:

• The All of Us Research Program aims to build research capacity within communities.
• Returning value to participants is a key objective.
• Fostering health equity research requires accessible tools and training.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe novel introductory exercises (Data Sandboxes) and specialized trainings.
• To orient researchers to the Researcher Workbench platform.
• To foster health equity research using the All of Us dataset.

Main Methods:

• Development of a tailored training program.
• Included orientation modules.
• Incorporated a "data treasure hunt" using the Public Data Browser and an overview of analysis tools.

Main Results:

• Significant increase in participants' pre- and post-knowledge scores regarding the All of Us dataset.
• Demonstrated effective engagement of researchers in dataset exploration.
• Positive feedback on the utility of the training for initiating research.

Conclusions:

• The described methods effectively orient and familiarize diverse researchers with the All of Us dataset.
• Training sparks researcher interest and "jump-starts" their research endeavors.
• These initiatives support the program's goal of building a diverse research community.