D2D provides turnkey research space for any UMN investigator wishing to recruit participants from among the fair's two million annual visitors--either for on-the-spot research or studies conducted elsewhere. The building annually attracts over 60,000 visitors, with over 25,000 fairgoers enrolling in 2019. Studies recruited at a rate of 162 participants per half-day shift (range 22-402). (In 2021, D2D employed strict COVID safety protocols and operated at half capacity; foot traffic and enrollment was also reduced by half.) Funding is available for eligible Masonic Cancer Center investigators for next year’s fair.
A brief online application is due Jan. 18, 2022.