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Drop-in format; open to all attendees and local community members

Start the day in conversation with neighbors, clinicians, and research partners. Visit stations offering flu shots, basic health screenings (e.g., blood pressure, HbA1c), and research information booths highlighting local projects and partnership outcomes. Learn how clinical research is protected, where trials happen close to home, and how communities shape priorities.

• Receive no-cost preventive services and learn about local care resources.
• Explore how research works here—oversight, consent, data protections, and community roles.
• Meet teams from Tribal, rural, and academic partners and discover ways to stay involved.

Hosted in collaboration with CSKT Tribal Health.

Share a meal and connect. The community breakfast creates a welcoming space to meet speakers, local providers, and fellow attendees. Grab coffee, visit a few booths, and help us kick off a conversation-forward day centered on culture, community, and access to care. All are welcome—whether you are a patient, healthcare provider, researcher, or local leader.

• Meet attendees from across Montana’s rural, Tribal, and research communities.
• Share stories and priorities in an informal, welcoming setting.
• Connect with potential collaborators before structured sessions begin.

Brief remarks followed by an overview of the day

We’ll officially open the 2025 Pathways Symposium with a welcome from event hosts and local leaders. This session will provide a roadmap for the two-day event, highlighting how the sessions are designed to build from cultural grounding toward actionable strategies for clinical trial access in rural and Tribal communities.

• Hear opening remarks from symposium hosts and local leadership.
• Learn about the flow and objectives of the event.
• Understand how each session connects to the overall theme and goals.

One 20-minute presentation followed by 10 minutes of audience questions

This introductory session will explain clinical research for community members, exploring the basics of clinical trials, participant protections, and the role of research in improving health outcomes. Learn how local participation can shape the future of healthcare and ensure community priorities are reflected in science.

• Understand the fundamentals of clinical trials and participant protections.
• Learn why local engagement in research is critical to advancing community health.
• Explore examples of how community input is reshaping modern clinical studies.

Three 20-minute presentations followed by a 30-minute moderated panel discussion

Indigenous and rural leaders will reframe science through the lens of cultural values, sovereignty, and lived experience. This session highlights how community priorities can guide research agendas and why honoring local worldviews is essential to building trust and relevance in health research.

• Explore how cultural values shape views of health and research.
• Identify community-driven priorities for future research partnerships.
• Learn from successful models of culturally grounded research.

Two 10-minute presentations followed by 10 minutes of audience questions

Montana-specific health data will ground this session in lived reality—highlighting gaps in trial access, disease burden, and representation across rural and Tribal populations. Local experts will explore how data can guide equity-driven solutions.

• Understand key disparities in clinical trial participation across Montana.
• Examine how local data informs policy and practice.
• Discover how Tribal and state-level data systems support research capacity.

Three 15-minute presentations followed by 15 minutes of audience questions?

From enrollment to follow-up, this session uses personal stories to illuminate how trials actually work in Indian Country. Presenters from industry, site-based teams, and community-facing staff will guide us through the lifecycle of a trial—while addressing common concerns and misconceptions.

• Walk through clinical trial phases from the patient’s point of view.
• Understand how protections and protocols are applied in real life.
• Hear firsthand accounts of successes, challenges, and lessons learned.

Research Ethics & Tribal Sovereignty

Three 15-minute presentations followed by 15 minutes of audience questions

This session explores how Tribal governance and Indigenous ethical frameworks shape the design and approval of health research. Panelists will discuss how sovereign oversight and community-led review processes support respectful, equitable partnerships in clinical trials.

• Learn about the role of Tribal IRBs and community research review boards.
• Understand how informed consent is adapted in Indigenous contexts.
• Explore how sovereignty is protected and practiced through research.

40-minute small group discussion followed by 20-minute large group report out

This interactive session invites participants to help reimagine how clinical trial protocols are designed. What would trials look like if communities shaped their questions, logistics, and delivery? Small group discussions will focus on how to make studies more accessible and locally relevant.

• Collaboratively adapt protocol elements to local contexts.
• Identify community barriers and solutions to trial participation.
• Report out design ideas to inform future site engagement strategies.

Pre-Dinner Networking Mixer

Open networking on Patio (weather permitting); appetizers, cash bar.

Dinner & Keynote: Ethical Research with Indigenous Communities

One 45-minute keynote presentation followed by 15 minutes of audience questions

This keynote will offer powerful insights on the responsibilities researchers hold when working in Indigenous communities. Through story and reflection, Dr. Cherith Smith will explore how cultural humility, trust-building, and sovereignty-centered design lead to ethical, impactful research.

• Understand the values that underpin ethical research in Indigenous communities.
• Learn how long-term partnerships are built—and sustained.
• Hear examples of challenges, pivots, and healing through research.

Ease into Day Two with coffee and conversation. We’ll briefly synthesize key insights from Day One and set the stage for policy, capacity, and collaboration. You’ll hear where to plug in—whether that’s infrastructure mapping, partnership building, or the afternoon matchmaking session.

• Recap Day One themes and how they inform today’s policy and capacity focus.
• Preview sessions, speakers, and how to make the most of matchmaking.
• Learn how to register interest for 2026 working groups and pilot projects.

Three 15-minute presentations followed by 15 minutes of audience questions

Policy environments are evolving quickly—and with them, opportunities and barriers for conducting clinical research in rural and Tribal areas. This session explores how recent legislative, regulatory, and funding decisions are shaping Montana’s research infrastructure and access. From Medicaid and Medicare to SB 535, panelists will share updates and forecasts for the future.

• Learn how changes in Medicaid, Medicare, and state law affect research delivery.
• Understand the impact of SB 535 on clinical research infrastructure and incentives.
• Explore how Tribal nations can leverage policy to support sovereignty-aligned trials.

Patient & Participant Perspectives Panel

Moderated 45-minute panel followed by 15 minutes of audience questions

Hear directly from community members who have engaged with—or been excluded from—clinical research opportunities. From personal experience navigating trials to insights about systemic mistrust, this session offers a window into the human side of research and the urgency of designing accessibly and ethically.

• Understand the real-world experiences of patients in rural and Tribal communities.
• Identify what builds trust—and what erodes it—in research interactions.
• Learn how to incorporate patient and caregiver feedback into research design.

Three 20-minute presentations followed by a 30-minute moderated panel discussion

Clinical trial success relies on more than interest—it requires infrastructure. In this session, leaders from academic, clinical, and Tribal health systems will assess Montana’s current readiness for research: IRBs, broadband, lab services, data systems, and workforce capacity. Discussion will identify gaps, opportunities, and models for collective action.

• Review Montana’s existing research infrastructure across regions and systems.
• Identify gaps in technology, staffing, IRB access, and trial readiness.
• Explore collaborative solutions to strengthen capacity statewide.

Moderated 45-minute panel followed by 15 minutes of audience questions

Sustained research partnerships don’t happen by chance—they are built over time through trust, shared vision, and practical alignment. This session will showcase successful collaborations between academic institutions, Tribal nations, rural providers, and industry sponsors, surfacing the key ingredients that make partnerships work.

• Highlight real-world research partnerships that have achieved community impact.
• Explore lessons learned from study planning, implementation, and adaptation.
• Understand how shared governance and communication sustain long-term efforts.

Facilitated “speed meeting” format (6–8 rotations of 5–8 minutes)

This high-energy networking session will connect researchers, clinicians, community members, and sponsors to spark new collaborations. Facilitated conversations will help identify areas of interest, potential partnership opportunities, and shared resources that can advance clinical trial capacity across Montana.

• Build new connections across sectors, geographies, and disciplines.
• Identify mutual interests and complementary assets for future collaboration.
• Leave with actionable leads for partnerships, pilot projects, or future funding.

Closing: Pathways Working Group Synthesis & Commitments

Interactive plenary wrap-up with facilitated discussion prompts

To close the symposium, we’ll synthesize key takeaways, surface actionable next steps, and invite participants to commit to continued engagement through Pathways working groups. Help shape the direction for 2026 and beyond by identifying shared priorities, projects, and partnerships that can carry the momentum forward.

• Reflect on major themes and insights from the two-day event.
• Contribute to a shared roadmap for community-informed research expansion.
• Join working groups to shape future events, research pilots, and advocacy efforts.