Developmental Research Project 2

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, theNU-CHERS Administrative Core (AC)willestablishmechanisms 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 andbenchmark 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 achievesits overall aims.Specific Aim 4: 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.