Core Components

coreConsistent with the RFA (PAR-14-152) requirements, the ASU/UAB CCC Partnership has an Administrative Core (which includes support), two Research Projects, and a Training and Education Program.

Administrative core

The administrative core will provide support for personnel involved in the administration, scientific oversight and coordination, communication, budgetary oversight, and clerical functions associated with the overall research program proposed in this partnership grant application.

The specific functions of the core include:

  • Monitoring progress of the research objectives of the partnership.
  • Facilitation of internal and external communication among partnership investigators, and communicating reports of progress from partnership projects with the NIH and the scientific and public communities.
  • Coordination and scheduling of all external and internal partnership meetings/seminars/conferences.
  • Administration of the Developmental Research Core activities.
  • Administration of the Career Development Program.
  • Providing support for management of financial accounts related to partnership activities and providing fiscal oversight of partnership Projects.

Research Core

The long-term goal of ASU/UAB CCC Partnership is to reduce and eliminate cancer health disparities. This will be achieved through our Cancer Pilot(s) Research and the Cancer Training and Education Programs, along with bioethics and biostatistics support, which will lead to sustained, integrated, organizational changes at both Institutions.

We will build on the momentum from our current level of commitment to establish, leverage, and sustain infrastructure at both institutions with the goal of eliminating cancer disparities in our region. As described In the RFA, the primary purpose of the Pilot Research Project(s) is to support “cancer-related basic, clinical, translational, prevention, control, behavioral, population, and/or outreach joint research projects.” The RFA requires that, “joint pilot research projects conducted primarily at the institution serving underserved communities with cancer health disparities may be in any area of cancer-related basic, clinical, translational, prevention, control, behavioral and/or population research.” The research projects conducted primarily at minority institutions may be in any areas of “environmental carcinogenesis, cancer biology, molecular epidemiology, and/or behavioral issues related to cancer prevention, treatment, and control,” whereas, “Joint pilot research projects conducted primarily at the Cancer Center must specifically address areas of cancer disparity in underserved populations.” Also, these efforts “must be aimed at grant application submissions (e.g., R01 awards, projects on P01 or P50 awards or their equivalents.” Thus, we will implement two pilot research projects that are proof-of-principle studies.
Objectives and Goals:

ASU and the UAB CCC plan to establish a partnership in which the major area of focus will be on cancer research (basic science translational science studies). The goals of the Partnership will be beneficial to both institutions, but, more importantly, will provide benefits to the communities as a result of the anticipated collaborations. Understanding mechanisms of cancer onset and defining biological and chemical factors involved in cancer have been at the forefront of cancer research. However, noted disparities of cancer incidence and mortality in minority populations suggest that more emphasis should be placed on research in these targeted groups. It is anticipated that the proposed Partnership will address these disparities by involving minority researchers.

  • To identify researchers and scientific investigators from ASU who are interested in and have the potential to conduct cancer-related research and to develop collaborations between researchers from the UAB CCC and ASU.
  • To implement collaborative research pilot projects between ASU and UAB for the purposes of obtaining preliminary data, particularly as it relates to disparities of cancer incidence and mortality in minorities.
  • To develop and submit an R25 training grant in cancer research and education to insure continued funding beyond the P20 grant.
  • To design long-term research projects that can be funded through federal agencies and to submit  competitive research grant applications.

Cancer Training and Education Core

The partnership between Alabama State University (ASU) and the UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center presents a unique opportunity for training the pipeline of future cancer research scientists, with emphasis on minority investigators and cancer health disparities research. The overall goal of the Cancer Training Program is to facilitate both faculty and graduate student training and development in the area of cancer research, in order to increase the number of minority investigators involved in cancer research and/or the number of investigators involved in cancer research as it relates to minority populations. The partnership will develop and implement cancer research training programs for undergraduate and graduate, post-doctoral, and junior faculty level trainees

The specific aims are to:

Specific aim 1: To develop and/or enhance existing immunology course and add cancer biology topics. In the first year we will enhance immunology course (BIO 425) and implement from second year.
Specific aim 2: To develop “cancer biology” course for undergraduate in year 2-3 and implement during year 4.
Specific aim 3: Implement a structured Health Disparities Research Training Program (HDRTP) for post-doctoral fellows, junior faculty, and transitional faculty, with 3 career training tracks: CBPR, CCPS, and BSCR.
Specific aim 4 Link the HDRTP with the Cancer Research Projects by involving the ASU Pilot Project PIs in the HDRTP, and HDRTP scholar in the research projects; integrate with the Bioethics Core through workshops and grant application reviews; and integrate with the Biostatistics Core through video-conference discussions and grant-application reviews.
Specific aim 5 Implement an evaluation plan to assess outcomes.