2/2 Partnership for the Advancement of Cancer Research: NMSU & Fred Hutch

ABSTRACT The Partnership between New Mexico State University (NMSU), an Institution Serving Underserved Health Disparities Populations and Underrepresented Students (ISUPS), and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center (Fred Hutch), a Comprehensive Cancer Center, has matured into a strong, mutually beneficial partnership from its start as a U56 (2002-2007) and three cycles as a U54 (2007-2023) Partnership. Over the past twenty years, NMSU has increased its commitment to cancer research, and Fred Hutch has expanded its efforts in cancer prevention, education, and health disparities. The Partnership has expanded and adapted opportunities for research, education, training, and community engagement for historically excluded communities (HECs) in the U.S. Southwest and Pacific Northwest, responding to its mission of improving cancer health equity. Population health sciences and transdisciplinary studies are the focus of joint Research Projects to a greater extent than in previous cycles. Expansion of the research education portfolio parallels an increased breadth of cancer and health disparities Research Projects. Lastly, the Partnership has amplified the voices of the communities it serves through community engaged research practices. The Partnership’s goals for the next U54 cycle are to further increase excellence in cancer research, cancer education, and outreach and dissemination portfolios while working towards accomplishing larger transformational changes within the Partnership. This competing renewal application formulates and implements three Guiding Principles for the Partnership: Restructuring Scientific Environments, Restructuring Scientific Processes, and Restructuring Scientific Engagement. These principles bring new opportunities to strengthen equity, inclusion, and diversity across all activities proposed by this U54 Partnership in support of the following three Specific Aims (1) Continue to develop a diverse portfolio of robust cancer Research Projects that span clinical, basic and population health sciences (2) Implement, evaluate, and improve our research education programs for current and future scientists from historically excluded communities (HECs) (3) Collaborate with community organizations on outreach programs in New Mexico and Washington State that work with underrepresented populations to reduce health disparities. To achieve these aims, the Partnership has assembled innovative cancer Research Projects that address an unmet regional needs and benefit from strong community input. Each Core - Administrative, Planning and Evaluation, Research Education About Cancer and Health (REACH), Outreach and Resource for AcademIc SuccEss (RAISE) - has also proposed activities to implement the Guiding Principles. The Partnership formulated activities that are highly integrated across Research Projects and Cores to provide the necessary resources to participants while advancing progress to meeting the Partnership’s mission.