Community Outreach and Engagement

Community Outreach and Engagement: Summary/Abstract The goal of HDFCCC Community Outreach and Engagement (COE) is to ensure that HDFCCC research is relevant to the cancer burden in the catchment area. COE faculty and staff are experts in analyzing the characteristics of the catchment area to allow data-driven characterization of the cancer burden. COE efforts respond to the dynamic nature of the catchment area, and potential resultant shifts in research priorities. COE also integrates the real-world experiences of the community and other strategic partners with HDFCCC research activities. This is done by engaging and sustaining community partnerships and facilitating bidirectional collaboration across the Center. COE ensures that the priorities, functions, and accomplishments of the Center are informed by and responsive to the burden of cancer, the center's priority cancers, and the needs and characteristics of the individuals and populations living in the catchment area. Meaningful community engagement underlies all aspects of the Center’s mission-driven themes of Impactful Discovery, Effective Translation, and Implementation and Dissemination. COE will impact the HDFCCC mission of driving scientific discovery and developing tailored interventions to improve cancer outcomes in its catchment area and beyond, as measured by increasing numbers of funded research proposals, which are either community engaged, relevant to the catchment area, or both; and increased capacity for engaged research of the community and HDFCCC. Long-term, this will result in strengthened relationships between UCSF and the community; increased access to cancer clinical trials; and changes in institutional, regional, and state level policies that aim to reduce the burden of cancer, promote equity, and improve cancer survival. To accomplish these goals, COE seeks to (1) understand the demographics and cancer burden of the catchment area; (2) engage the community and catalyze bi-directional collaborations and research; (3) support equitable access to clinical trials; and (4) address the cancer burden in the catchment area and beyond.