1/2 The Partnership for Native American Cancer Prevention

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PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRCT: OVERALL The Partnership for Native American Cancer Prevention (NACP) is uniquely positioned to address cancer health inequities in Native American communities. Cancer is the second leading cause of death for Native Americans over the age of 45 years. Despite improvements in cancer screening techniques and major developments in cancer treatment in past decades, tribal communities have not benefited equally from these advances. Further, the NIH recognizes that Native Americans have the lowest representation of all underrepresented groups in the biomedical research workforce, which contributes to the overall cancer health inequities for this population. NACP began in 2002 as a partnership between Northern Arizona University (NAU), as the institution serving underserved health disparity populations and underrepresented students, and the University of Arizona Cancer Center (UACC), as the Comprehensive Cancer Center. The overarching goals of NACP are to increase NAU's cancer research and UACC's cancer health disparities capacities by honoring existing and establishing new Native American community partnerships. To meet these goals, the following aims are proposed: Aim 1. Conduct Pilot Research Projects and Full Research Projects, which address Native American cancer disparities and reflect community concerns; Aim 2. Recruit and support Native American faculty focused on cancer research; Aim 3. Create a new shared resource called “Guiding U54 Investigator Development to Sustainability (GUIDeS)“ with the goal to facilitate the transition of NACP- affiliated, Early Stage Investigators/Junior Investigators to research independence; Aim 4. Expand and implement cancer disparities research education with a focus on Native American students across NAU/UA undergraduate and graduate programs; Aim 5. Integrate community engagement principles into all NACP activities, facilitating dissemination of the Partnership's research findings and the National Outreach Network's initiatives to Native American communities. To achieve these Aims, two Full and one Pilot project are proposed; two have Native American co-leaders. One of the Full projects and the Pilot project combine basic science and community engaged research to address gastric and cervical cancer; death rates for these cancers are higher in Native American populations. We propose Administrative, Planning and Evaluation, Research Education, Outreach and GUIDeS Cores to support the research projects and integrate activities across the Partnership. NAU and UACC commit institutional funds to support new projects and Native American investigators. New priorities in this proposal are community engaged research that will impact cancer screening rates, recruitment and mentoring of Native American early stage investigators, grant writing activities to sustain Native American-focused cancer disparities research and initiatives, and joint research education curricula to develop a stronger Native American biomedical workforce. By the end of the proposed funding period, NACP will move Native Americans in Arizona closer to cancer health equity.