The University of Maryland School of Medicine (Claudia R. Baquet) provides the leadership to a proposal with the goal of establishing a sustainable infrastructure in Maryland (MD) entitled, the """"""""Maryland Special Populations Cancer Network"""""""". Objectives of the Network are to: 1.) Build a network infrastructure to foster cancer awareness activities in MD; 2.) Establish partnerships to support enhanced minority participation in research; 3.) Promote training opportunities for minority researchers; 4.) Establish cancer research priorities and plan collaborative pilot projects; 5.) Develop collaborative competitive grant applications from pilot projects. In a three phase program, the Investigative team will employ wide range of cancer awareness activities: develop culturally appropriate cancer control outreach and will direct our research to include the target populations; foster collaborative interactions between the community and academia and mentoring relationships for minority researchers. The target populations are African Americans in Baltimore City, African Americans and other rural undeserved groups on the Eastern Shore and throughout MD. The Steering Committee, the Baltimore Times Publishing Group, the Eastern Shore Regional Cancer Center, the Veterans Administration; the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and its 24 Local Health Departments; The Baltimore Ministerial Alliance Against Cancer, UniversityCARE, the Maryland State Council on Cancer Control; the Maryland Rural Health Association; and the State Office of Rural Health. The Joint Action Plan approved by the Steering Committee will include church-based strategies utilizing Lay Health Workers (LHW); cancer awareness programs; print and broadcast media activities; and a wide-reaching program engaging community health providers and community based organizations. The success of the Network will be evaluated by: 1.) the improvement in cancer awareness among target consumers; 2.) the increased access and accrual to cancer clinical trials for minorities; 3.) the development of funded research studies; 4.) the increased numbers of minorities selecting cancer research careers; and 5.) the long-term sustainability of the Network after the grant period.
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