Started in 2003 and funded in 2005 by the National Institute of Health, the mission of the UMass Boston-DF/HCC Comprehensive Cancer Partnership Program is to address health disparities in minority populations, and to improve research, training, and outreach initiatives for minority students, fellows, nurses, and scientists. The Program focuses on accomplishing this by focusing on three areas: collaborative cancer research, shared cancer training efforts, and cancer outreach. Goals include:
University of Massachusetts at Boston (UMB) is the most diverse public four-year higher education institution in New England. Approximately 39% of its nearly 14,000 students are members of racial and ethnic minorities. As an urban university, it is vitally engaged in Boston’s mosaic of communities. Of special importance to the DF/HCC - UMB Partnership are three UMB institutes, which focus on the needs of African-Americans (William Monroe Trotter Institute), Hispanics (Mauricio Gaston Institute for Latino Community Development and Public Policy), and Asian-Americans (Institute for Asian American Studies). Additionally, the College of Public and Community Service works to enhance the quality of life for low-income and other inadequately served populations. UMB offers six pre-collegiate programs, annually serving 2,600 students from Boston Public Schools. Undergraduate students are assisted through the U.S. Dept. of Education’s Ronald E. McNair Post–Baccalaureate Achievement Program, providing science-focused students with research experiences that promote the importance of attaining PhD degrees.
Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center (DF/HCC) is an NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center that consolidates the efforts of seven Harvard-affiliated member institutions — each among the world’s most respected in biomedical research — into one collective force to defeat cancer. In addition to conducting basic and clinical research that crosses both institutional and scientific boundaries, DF/HCC is committed to maximizing the impact of its research to reduce the cancer burden in all populations and to eliminate disparities in cancer in minority and medically underserved groups.
The Program offers developmental funding for collaborative projects between UMB and DF/HCC that focus on any aspect of cancer, including cancer disparities. The Program also funds the development of collaborative projects in community outreach, cancer education, and dissemination of evidenced-based programs. A request for proposals is typically released in early summer, and accepted until early fall. Two types of awards are given:
For more information on the DF/HCC - UMass Boston Partnership, please contact:
Karen Emmons, PhD
c/o Nancy Klockson
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
44 Binney St
Boston, MA 02115
617-632-2188
Adan Colon-Carmona, PhD
c/o Jamielle Walker
University of Massachusetts, Boston
100 Morrissey Blvd
Wheatley Building 3rd Floor Rm 308
Boston, MA 02125-3393
617-287-6071
Jamielle Walker, MPH
jamielle.walker@umb.edu
617-287-6622
University of Massachusetts Boston
100 Morrissey Blvd
Wheatley Building 3rd Floor Rm 308
Boston, MA 02125-3393