The mission of the Radiology Research Alliance (RRA) is to encourage multidisciplinary research in the radiological sciences by helping departments establish, enhance, and grow their research programs. The RRA helps departments stimulate innovative research by conducting research symposia at the Association of University Radiologists annual meeting and supporting AUR members in their professional development ( ).
Established in 2013, the RRA Task Forces help radiologists understand new trends in radiology research. Each Task Force is comprised of faculty, fellow, and resident members. An expert in the field may also be added. Membership comes from many different academic departments across North America, and meetings occur throughout the year, usually via teleconference. The members work collaboratively to develop a white paper to be presented at the AUR annual meeting and submitted to Academic Radiology for publication. Some Task Forces have transitioned to Working Groups, which helps continue the work on high priority topics. These efforts have been effective, and current Working Groups include: 3D Printing, Artificial Intelligence (Data Science), Research in Radiology, Clinically Oriented Academic Radiology Department Research Initiative, Comparative Effectiveness Research, Research Mentoring, and Virtual Journal Clubs.
This year the Task Force white papers will be published in Academic Radiology every other month, rather than being combined in a single issue. This will allow readers more rapid access to the important work that the Task Forces are doing. A list of current and previous Task Forces and associated white papers can be found at https://www.aur.org/RRA-task-forces/ ( ).
We invite the membership of the AUR to consider joining one of the RRA Task Forces. If you are an AUR member and are interested in joining a Task Force, please contact the AUR office at AUR@rsna.org. In the meantime, enjoy the coming Task Force white papers.
References
1. Association of University Radiologists website: https://www.aur.org/RRA/ .
2. Association of University Radiologists website: https://www.aur.org/RRA-task-forces/ .