Arbor Research Collaborative for Health

What Arbor Research Collaborative for Health does

Arbor Research Collaborative for Health is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit research organization founded in 1996 in Ann Arbor, Michigan, with a distinctive dual-entity structure: the nonprofit parent conducts advanced research grounded in data science, clinical evidence, and multidisciplinary collaboration, while a wholly-owned for-profit subsidiary (Arbor Research LLC) delivers modern technology solutions and enables the organization to compete for small-business set-aside government contracts. The organization serves federal health agencies (HHS, CMS, HRSA, NIH, AHRQ, CDC), pharmaceutical companies (GSK, Baxter, CSL Vifor), and private foundations, primarily through professional services and contract-based research collaborations.

Its core capabilities center on the DOPPS Program (Dialysis Outcomes and Practice Patterns Study) — a 25+ year longitudinal study tracking 70,000+ patients across 750+ clinical sites in approximately 20 countries — alongside companion programs CKDopps and PDOPPS, and a publicly accessible DOPPS Practice Monitor. Additional offerings span real-world evidence (RWE) generation, program evaluation, data coordinating center operations for NIH-funded consortia, disease and treatment registries (including PARADIGM and WIND-PSC), and a newly launched Health IT vertical leveraging Agile, DevOps, cloud platforms, and artificial intelligence for federal health IT modernization.

Revenue is generated through professional services delivered via federal contracting vehicles (GSA MAS, OASIS+, CMS RMADA/MIDS, CDC SHEPheRD) and direct pharmaceutical research collaborations. Grants and contracts revenue grew from $11M in 2021 to $18.9M under current CEO Dr. Chris Spera, with headcount scaling from 61 to 100+ employees. The company has expanded geographically (Washington DC office, 2023), launched a new product line (Health IT vertical, 2025), and secured multiple competitive prime federal awards in 2024–2025.

Name

Arbor Research Collaborative for Health

Legal name

Arbor Research Collaborative for Health

Website

https://arborresearch.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Arbor Research Collaborative for Health is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit research organization that runs the DOPPS kidney disease program and delivers real-world evidence, health policy analysis, and health IT solutions for federal agencies, pharmaceutical companies, and private foundations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Healthcare Research Services

NAICS

Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Disease-Specific Research & Support (e.g., Cancer, Diabetes, ALS) (BPAGACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Policy, Regulatory & Public Affairs Research (BPAHALAF), Global Health Research, Evidence & Technical Assistance Organizations (HLAJAKAN), Disease & Condition Surveillance Programs (HLAJANAB)

Keywords

• Health services research
• Clinical epidemiology studies
• Real-world evidence research
• Dialysis outcomes research
• Health policy evaluation

Headquarters

HQ city

Ann Arbor

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Government Contracts: Federal government contracts through agencies including HHS, CMS, HRSA, NIH, AHRQ, and CDC. Services include program evaluation, implementation research, health policy analysis, and technical assistance. Contracting vehicles include GSA MAS Schedule, CMS RMADA/MIDS, CDC SHEPheRD, and GSA OASIS+.
2. Pharmaceutical Industry Research: Collaborative research with pharmaceutical companies for clinical evidence generation, registries, and real-world evidence studies
3. Foundation and Private Sector: Research partnerships with private foundations supporting healthcare research and policy initiatives

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Arbor Research Collaborative for Health conducts epidemiology and public health studies to improve patient outcomes. It operates large international research programs such as DOPPS, PDOPPS, and CKDopps, while delivering health policy analysis, program evaluation, real-world evidence generation, disease registries, data coordinating center services, and Health IT modernization solutions to federal agencies, pharmaceutical companies, and private foundations.

Product overview

Arbor Research Collaborative for Health operates as a non-profit organization with a distinctive dual-structure: the parent organization conducts advanced research initiatives grounded in data science, clinical evidence, and multidisciplinary collaboration, while its subsidiary Arbor Research LLC focuses on modern technology solutions. The company offers a portfolio of research programs including the DOPPS Program (Dialysis Outcomes and Practice Patterns Study), CKDopps, and PDOPPS, alongside practice monitoring tools like the DOPPS Practice Monitor. The Health IT vertical provides technology modernization services leveraging cloud, DevOps, Agile, and AI. Research services span program evaluation, clinical research, health policy analysis, data coordinating centers, disease registries, and technical assistance. The company also manages specialized registries including PARADIGM for CKD-associated pruritus and WIND-PSC for primary sclerosing cholangitis.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• DOPPS Program: Dialysis Outcomes and Practice Patterns Study - international study following over 70,000 patients at more than 750 clinical sites in approximately 20 countries focused on kidney disease research
• PDOPPS
• CKDopps
• ArborLink

Products and services

• Dialysis Outcomes and Practice Patterns Study (DOPPS) Global research program tracking dialysis practices and patient outcomes internationally, designed for clinicians, policymakers, and pharmaceutical sponsors seeking real-world evidence on hemodialysis care.
• DOPPS Practice Monitor - Peritoneal Dialysis (DPM-PD) Publicly accessible monitoring system presenting patient characteristics, clinical practice, and prescription data for US dialysis patients through interactive charts and data tables.
• Peritoneal Dialysis Outcomes and Practice Patterns Study (PDOPPS) International study focusing on peritoneal dialysis practices and outcomes, conducted as part of the broader DOPPS Program.
• Chronic Kidney Disease Outcomes and Practice Patterns Study (CKDopps) Study focusing on patients with advanced non-dialysis chronic kidney disease, examining current clinical practice and identifying practices associated with best outcomes.
• Health IT Solutions Modern technology solutions leveraging Human-Centered Design, cloud technology, DevOps, Agile, and Artificial Intelligence for Health IT modernization, delivered to federal agencies and industry partners.
• Real-World Evidence (RWE) Research capability utilizing real-world data to inform health policy and improve outcomes across populations.
• Program Evaluation, Implementation, and Applied Research Comprehensive evaluation and implementation services for health programs and applied research initiatives.
• Data Coordinating Centers and Research Platforms Coordination and management of research data and platforms, including 25 years of experience serving as data coordinating center for NIH-funded consortia.
• Disease and Treatment Registries Development and management of registries for tracking disease outcomes and treatment patterns, including the Michigan Obstetrics Initiative registry.
• PARADIGM Registry European registry evaluating real-world outcomes of Kapruvia (difelikefalin) for CKD-associated pruritus in hemodialysis patients, operated in partnership with CSL Vifor.
• WIND-PSC Study Worldwide Integration of Natural History Databases for Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis study, for which Arbor Research serves as Data Coordinating Center.

Quantifiable outcome

• Generic immunosuppressants reduced patient out-of-pocket payments by 63-79% between 2008-2013
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability1 record

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered major, minor and core.

• Nephrology Associates of Northern Illinois and Indiana (NANI)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 December 2024Innovative collaboration with NANI, the largest private nephrology practice in the United States, to advance chronic kidney disease (CKD) research and management by leveraging NANI's extensive patient-level data for real-world evidence generation.
• CSL ViformajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 October 2024Partnership to launch PARADIGM (PAn european Registry Addressing pruritus in DIalysis with a focus on Goal-oriented medical treatment), a multinational registry to capture real-world outcomes of difelikefalin (Kapruvia) for CKD-associated pruritus in hemodialysis patients.
• Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)majorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 20 September 2024Selected as one of 14 organizations leading OPTN modernization initiative, focusing on improving patient safety and policy compliance systems and processes.
• National Cancer Institute (NCI) Center for Global HealthmajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 10 September 2024Competitive prime contract award expanding the organization's 25-year history in chronic disease research through NCI CGH work.
• PSC Partners / PSC Partners CanadamajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 June 2024Arbor Research serves as Data Coordinating Center for WIND-PSC (Worldwide Integration of Natural History Databases for Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis) study, a groundbreaking research initiative led by patient-led nonprofit organizations.
• Lewin GroupminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 16 September 2022Collaboration with prime contractor Lewin Group to assess effectiveness of End-Stage Renal Disease Treatment Choices Model and Kidney Care Choices Model, along with University of Michigan Kidney Epidemiology and Cost Center and ICF.
• AltarummajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 April 2022Partnership to support and evaluate the National Hypertension Control Initiative, addressing disparities in hypertension control among racial and ethnic minority populations.
• International Society of Nephrology (ISN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership through DOPPS Program; joint efforts on Global Kidney Care Podcast; participation in World Congress of Nephrology.
• International Society for Peritoneal Dialysis (ISPD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership on PDOPPS (Peritoneal Dialysis Outcomes and Practice Patterns Study) and Global Kidney Care Podcast.
• Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)majorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCollaboration to reinvigorate PCORTF strategic plan, guiding allocation of approximately $1 billion over the next decade for Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, evidence dissemination, capacity building, and data infrastructure development.
• General Dynamics Information Technology (GDIT)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSupporting HRSA OPTN Patient Safety and Compliance Task Order under GDIT-led initiative.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Westat: Employee-owned research firm that conducts clinical trials, surveys, and health services research for NIH, CMS, and AHRQ — a long-standing nonprofit/federal research peer with overlapping DCC and registry capabilities.
• RTI International: Nonprofit research institute that conducts health and social science research for federal agencies (HHS, CMS, NIH) under IDIQ contracts — directly comparable model to Arbor Research's federal contracting focus.
• ICF International: Public consulting firm with a Health and Health Informatics practice that competes for CMS, NIH, and CDC contracts; board member Gerald Croan was formerly EVP at ICF after selling Caliber Associates to them — directly comparable on health research and federal IT modernization.
• Abt Associates: Major federal health research and consulting firm where CEO Dr. Spera previously led the Health and Environment Division; overlaps directly with Arbor Research on CMS/HRSA/AHRQ health policy, evaluation, and implementation research work.
• Altarum: Nonprofit health systems and policy research firm partnering with Arbor Research on the National Hypertension Control Initiative — directly comparable on federal health program evaluation and applied research.
• Lewin Group (Optum): Health policy consulting firm now part of UnitedHealth Group/Optum; an existing subcontractor partner of Arbor Research on CMS ESRD models — directly comparable federal health policy and renal program evaluation work.
• Mathematica: Policy research and data analytics firm with a substantial federal health evaluation practice serving CMS, HHS, and state Medicaid agencies — comparable in mission, customer base, and contract vehicles.
• NORC at the University of Chicago: Independent, university-affiliated research organization operating a large health research practice with deep federal contracting presence — a benchmark nonprofit peer for Arbor Research's mixed-method evaluation and DCC work.

Broad incumbents

• RAND Corporation: Larger, broadly diversified nonprofit policy research organization with a Health division serving federal agencies — overlapping as a health policy and program evaluation peer but far larger and more diversified.

Emerging players

• Health Research & Educational Trust (AHA): American Hospital Association's nonprofit research arm running hospital quality and patient safety research — comparable health services research nonprofit with overlapping hospital and federal agency relationships.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/arborreshealth
• Facebookfacebook.com/arborresearch
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/arbor-research-collaborative-for-health

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Arbor Research Collaborative for Health