Project Grant R01DK144370

The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases awarded New York University $872,273 on August 20, 2026, under the Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases Extramural Research program (CFDA 93.847) to identify modifiable process delays in deceased donor kidney allocation through process mining analysis.

The project applies process mining methodology to discover actual kidney placement workflows from data logs at multiple organ procurement organizations (OPOs). The research aims to understand why out-of-sequence allocation has increased tenfold while 28 percent of recovered deceased donor kidneys remain unused, and to develop targeted policy and practice changes that reduce non-use while maintaining public trust in the transplant system. The investigative approach combines qualitative and quantitative dimensions: participant observations and discussions with OPO leadership and organ allocation coordinators over ten days at each participating OPO, paired with analysis of internal OPO allocation event logs to characterize durations, dependencies, and critical paths in deceased donor kidney placement workflows.

The award supports research performed in New York, New York, with a period of performance through May 31, 2031. The funding is classified as a Project Grant under the assistance type framework.