This feasibility and planning proposal to develop the Northwestern University Cancer Health Equity Research SPORE (NU-CHERS) will generate scientific findings and establish sustainable, collaborative, academic and community infrastructure that will serve as the foundation for a comprehensive translational cancer research program focused on gynecologic cancer disparities. In order to accomplish these translational research and infrastructure development goals, the NU-CHERS Administrative Core (AC) will establish mechanisms and infrastructure that promote planning, communication, interaction, integration, and evaluation to support the broad spectrum of translational research activities for advancing cancer health equity. The Administrative Core has the following Specific Aims.
Specific Aim 1 : To oversee and support all NU-CHERS activities, ensuring integration, coordination, communication, and fiscal administration across the translational research projects (RP1, RP2), the Cores (Administrative Core, Gynecologic Biospecimen Pathology Core), and the Developmental Research Program (DRP).
Specific Aim 2. To coordinate and maintain mechanisms to facilitate integration with, and efficient utilization of, existing institutional resources within the parent institutions Northwestern University and the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Specific Aim 3 : To establish and coordinate the structures, processes, and evaluation activities of the External Advisory Board (EAB) and Internal Advisory Board (IAB) for systematic, objective, iterative, and formal evaluation of the translational research productivity of NU-CHERS research projects, shared resource cores, and the DRP. The EAB will evaluate NU-CHERS performance against its broader mission and benchmark against practices and performance of SPORE sites. The IAB will advise the AC in program planning, inter-organizational relationships, and institutional commitment, to help ensure NU- CHERS achieves its overall aims.
Specific Aim 4 : To build a sustainable Community Advisory Board (CAB) connecting community institutions to translational gynecologic cancer disparities research that can provide consultation on community engagement strategies for NU-CHERS research projects, Cores, and the DRP.
Specific Aim 5 : To ensure effective and timely transition planning through initiation of multi-institutional, intra- and inter-SPORE scientific collaborations, grant application development, and mentorship of investigators to facilitate submission of a subsequent P50 SPORE grant.
The successful functioning of the Northwestern University Chicago Health Equity Research SPORE (NU- CHERS) P20 program requires effective operations and communications provided by the Administrative Core. The NU-CHERS Administrative Core provides scientific, fiscal and administrative oversight to optimize institutional resources, planning, priority setting, evaluation, and communications. The Directors of the Administrative Core are supported by a Leadership Council and advised by the Internal and External Advisory Boards.
