A Novel Strategy to Promote Equity and Access in Interventional Cardiology: Early Insights From the 2024-2025 ACC Clinical Trial Research Cohort

Background The American College of Cardiology (ACC) launched the Clinical Trials Research (CTR) program in 2019 to increase representation of historically underrepresented early-career investigators in cardiovascular research. In 2024, ACC introduced REACH (Research, Equity, and Access for Cardiac Health), a new subcohort within CTR focused on addressing disparities in structural heart disease research and recruitment. This analysis aimed to evaluate the diversity of the 2024-2025 CTR and REACH cohorts and assesses the program’s short-term impact on research engagement, mentorship, and professional development. Methods This was a cross-sectional voluntary survey of 22 items offered to all participants following completion of the program in March 2025. Responses were collected anonymously to ensure confidentiality, with data encrypted during transit and stored securely. Results Among the 2024-2025 ACC CTR cohort, 48 of 51 participants (94.1%) completed the survey, with equal sex distribution (50% women, 50% men) and 25% identifying as Hispanic. Reported short-term outcomes included 52% gaining new mentorship outside their institution, 23% receiving speaking invitations to national meetings, 81% forming new collaborations, and 79% identifying new research opportunities. In the ACC CTR REACH cohort, 60% reported new external mentorship, 40% received national speaking invitations, 60% formed collaborations, and 88% accessed at least 1 new research opportunity. Conclusions The 2024-2025 ACC CTR and REACH programs fostered mentorship, collaboration, and research engagement among early-career investigators while advancing diversity in sex and ethnicity.