Contact:

H. Nelson Aguila, D.V.M.
Comprehensive Minority Biomedical Branch
Office of Centers, Training and Resources
Office of the Director
National Cancer Institute
Telephone: (301) 496-7344
E-mail: ha60x@nih.gov

Objective of Project:

To help plan and develop comprehensive planning partnerships and initiate, through a formal planning process, comprehensive partnership activities between Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) and NCI-designated Cancer Centers (or groups of centers). The pilot activities planned in the comprehensive partnership must clearly have the potential to become the foundation for submitting a Comprehensive Minority Institution/Cancer Center Partnership (MI/CCP) application (U54). The U56 applications must include activities addressing cancer research, cancer training and cancer outreach. Cancer education is optional. The cancer research projects, cancer research training and cancer outreach programs must be proposed to achieve the following goals: (1) build and stabilize independent competitive cancer research capacity at the MSI; (2) improve the effectiveness of the NCI-designated Cancer Center activities specifically designed to address the cancer disparities in underserved racial and ethnic minorities and the socio-economically disadvantaged; and (3) create stable, long-term collaborative relationships between the MSI and the Cancer Center in all areas of cancer research, training, education and outreach.

Partner institutions must demonstrate that the specific objectives they wish to achieve within the three general objectives above either are dependent upon the partnership for their eventual success or will be achieved faster because of the partnership and that they are willing to work with and share their approaches.

Description of Project:

Cooperative Planning Grants for Comprehensive Minority Institution/Cancer Center Partnerships (U56) is a Cooperative Agreement that must focus predominantly on cancer research projects, cancer training and cancer outreach programs. The partnership must demonstrate mutual benefits to both MSI and Cancer Center. Applicants are expected to conduct workshops and retreats designed to identify areas of greatest opportunity and utilize an Internal Advisory Committee (IAC) for reviewing pilot projects/programs, faculty recruitment, specialized resources and infrastructure. This system must be used as the basis for distributing funds. An external Program Steering Committee (PSC) dedicated to setting priorities, changing directions, and making recommendations based on an annual program evaluation must also be in place. Pilot projects/programs (requiring co-leaders, one from the MSI and one from the Cancer Center) must be initiated and career development and mentoring are required when needed. Pilot projects/programs would be limited to no more than three years of support and must be the basis for full projects/programs in an MI/CCP U54 application or other competitive grant applications (e.g., R03s, R21s, R01s, project on a P01s/P50s; T32s, R25Ts/Es, K12s, K01s, K08s, K22s, K23s and F31s) supported by the NCI or other equivalent funding agencies. The partnership would have the flexibility to discontinue projects and start new projects through its formalized planning and evaluation activities based on the regular evaluation of progress by the IAC and PSC and with NCI approval. Applicants are also expected to establish cooperative seminar series, courses etc.; identify ways to merge existing programs (e.g., research training and career development); begin recruiting faculty in areas of opportunity; begin developing resources and shared facilities that represent critical infrastructure in areas of opportunity.