Overview

The UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center and San Francisco State University have a Cooperative Grant for Comprehensive Minority Institution/Cancer Center Partnership, funded as a planning grant by the National Cancer Institute (U56 mechanism).

The mission of the partnership is to development of Resources for Cancer Research, Outreach, and Training in a Multi-Ethnic Community

The goals of the partnership are to:

• build and stabilize independent competitive cancer research capacity at SFSU;
• improve the effectiveness of UCSF activities specifically designed to address cancer disparities in underserved racial and ethnic minorities;
• create stable, longterm collaborative relationships between SFSU and UCSF in all areas of cancer research, training, education, and outreach.

The program combines research pilot projects, a training program, and other initiatives. The plan also incorporates community outreach and education components as well as minority faculty development activities within the pilot projects and pilot program. The grant from NCI was awarded in July 2002.

The partnership is the result of planning between UCSF and SFSU which has taken into consideration the strengths and weaknesses of both institutions and ways in which the institutions can complement and strengthen each other's work. Activities were selected to benefit faculty and students at both institutions, as well as their surrounding communities. Especially targeted are economically disadvantaged neighborhoods that are poorly served by the health care network. A major effort of the partnership will be to increase the enrollment of individuals from minority groups into cancer prevention trials.

Participating faculty from UCSF and SFSU work together to develop a stable cancer research program at SFSU, to develop closer connections between the UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center and minority communities, and to work with community organizations to develop novel programs which take advantage of the combined resources and strengths of the UCSF/SFSU partnership. A Program Steering Committee comprises researchers who have championed increasing opportunities for individuals traditionally underrepresented in biomedical and biobehavioral research, and eliminating health disparities.