The Deep South Network for Cancer Control proposes to build upon our considerable experience in working with the African-American population in the Deep South. The proposal will focus on two poor rural areas of Alabama and Mississippi, the Black Belt of Alabama and the Delta of Mississippi, and two urban areas, Jefferson Metro and Hattiesburg/Laurel Metro. Proven methods for building community infrastructure, the Community Health Advisor (CHA) model and community coalition building will be utilized. The CHAs will be further trained as research partners (CHARPs). This community infrastructure will then be used to increase cancer awareness in this hard to reach population. The community infrastructure will be linked to established academic investigators via a semi-annual meeting to be called the Deep South Institute for Cancer Control. This linkage will be utilized to increase African-American participation in clinical trials using mutually developed recruitment strategies. In addition, a Minority Training Program will also be developed with recruitment at all levels. A Developmental Research Program will be developed to stimulate community based research particularly from the minority trainees and the community partners. The combination of these linkages and programs within the Institute will lead to significant increases in investigator initiated funded community based research.
Our specific aims are as follows: (1) Develop new and enhance existing community infrastructures to promote cancer awareness among African- Americans in the Deep South utilizing the CHA model and coalition building. (2) Establish a Deep South Institute for Cancer Control for the initial purpose of linking academic institutions and investigators, and to serve as the formal structure for accomplishing Specific Aims 3-7. (3) Utilize the Deep South Institute for Cancer Control to link the academic/clinical infrastructure to the community-based infrastructure developed through the CHA model and coalition building. (4) Establish a formal Minority Investigator Training Program utilizing the resources identified and developed through the Deep South Institute for Cancer Control. (5) Promote African-American participation in existing and future clinical trials utilizing the resources and linkages established as part of the Deep South Institute for Cancer Control. (6) Plan and institute collaborative developmental research projects utilizing the resources and linkages established in the Deep South Institute for Cancer Control. (7) Develop, through the resources and linkages of the Deep South Institute for Cancer Control, collaborative investigator-initiated grants competitive for extramural funding. (8) Conduct evaluations to monitor process, impact and outcomes, and modify programs as necessary to achieve success.
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