University of Puerto Rico

This application for a P20 planning grant is submitted by the University of Puerto Rico – Río PIedras campus, a minority serving institution and the Roswell Park Cancer Institute, a NCI Comprehensive Cancer Center. A subcontract to Portland State University to Dr. Carlos Crespo, Director of the School of Community Health is described below to assist achieve the major goals of this partnership. The general goal is to develop a collaborative association between the two institutions to increase the number of minority scientists engaged in cancer research. The specific aims of this planning grant are: 1) To develop joint research projects in the areas of cancer epidemiology, prevention, and control in areas of diet, exercise, tobacco and the environment and 2) To support the development of a multidisciplinary team-oriented program to train pre-doctoral and post-doctoral candidates to pursue careers in basic and applied cancer research. We intend to expand the current cancer research training and career development opportunities by increasing the interaction between minority scientists and established investigators through seminar, workshops, retreats, and formation of inter-institutional research teams. Two pilot projects will examine the role of diet on breast cancer in Puerto Rican women, and the relationship of dietary fat with prostate cancer in a cohort of Puerto Rican men with 35 years of follow up. Additionally, we propose to fund one or two meritorious pilot research projects through the formation of research teams. These inter-institutional research teams will prepare a small research proposal and be reviewed by a panel of outside advisors with NIH study section review experience. We envision that this type of interaction and partnership will enhance the cultural competency skills of all scientists involved in this grant. The activities planned are designed to represent true collaborations that function seamlessly across the institutional boundaries of both institutions. Under this partnership the University of Puerto Rico will gain access to and collaboration with established investigators in cancer epidemiology, and will increase the cancer research training opportunities for students and junior faculty. The Roswell Park Cancer Institute will then gain cultural competency in conducting cancer research with Hispanics that will further expand current recruitment efforts of Hispanic participants into clinical trials and population-based research, increase the admission of Hispanic students into the current training programs, and promote the development of minority scientists.

National Institutes of Health